Beauty and the Beast - Hiccstrid
by sakurap95
Summary: Hiccup is the odd one in the village, but all of that changes one day when his mother goes missing and he finds a mysterious castle in the woods, which houses a mysterious beast. But is there more to her than meets the eye? A HTTYD story as a B&B AU, based off the 2017 remake of the film. Edits pending. Hiccstrid.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Once upon a time, in a hidden part of the Archipelago, a warrior princess lived in a magnificent castle. Although she had everything one could desire, the princess was proud and unkind. She was the greatest fighter in all the land and had successfully fought back many rival Viking armies who attempted to take her kingdom. Her subjects all admired her strength but cowered in fear of her temper, for she also ruled the land with an iron-grip like her father before her. The princess demanded the best of the best, including champions to be her suitors. But no matter how many she would see, she always cast them aside, deeming none of them to be skilled enough to be her equal.

 _Oh, how divine_

 _Glamor, music and magic combine_

 _See the suitors so anxious to shine_

 _Look for a sign that enhances chances_

 _He'll be her special one_

 _What a display_

 _What a breathtaking, thrilling array_

 _Every prince, every dog has his day_

 _Let us sing with passion, gusto, fit to bust_

 _Oh, not a care in the world!_

Then one night, an unexpected intruder arrived at the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter storm. As a gift, she offered the princess a single rose…

Repulsed by her haggard appearance and weak demeanor, the princess turned the woman away. But the old woman warned her not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty and true strength was found within. When the princess dismissed her again, the old woman's outward appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress… a Valkyrie…

The princess begged for forgiveness, but it was already too late, for the Valkyrie had seen there was no love in her heart. As punishment, she transformed her into a hideous beast, and placed a strong spell on the castle and all who lived there. As days bled into years, the princess and her servants were forgotten by the world, for the enchantress had erased all memory of them from the minds of the people they loved…

But the rose the Valkyrie had offered was truly an enchanted rose. If the princess could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, then she would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years passed, she lost all hope and fell into despair, for who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Hiccup

**B &B - Chapter one: "Hiccup" **

**I was inspired by httydgirl74's retelling of the story on Youtube, so at least for this chapter, Mala is Gaston and Ruffnut is Lefou. However, I still really love the idea of Dagur as Gaston instead, paired with Snotlout as Lefou. We'll see however I edit the story in the future, but for now, here's chapter one! Enjoy!**

The gentle sunlight slowly rose from behind the tall mountain and bathed the valley below in a warm glow. Sitting in a prairie of wild flowers and nestled underneath the shade of a willow tree, sat a small and humble stone cottage. A dragon-shaped weathervane poked out of the wooden roof, and a large waterwheel spun to a little stream that ran along the cottage.

A rooster from one of the neighboring farms crowed in the distance, followed by many brays of sheep. The front door of the cottage creaked opened to reveal a young man, shielding his eyes from the morning light.

This boy was named Hiccup Haddock the third. Why he was given such a unique name was easy to understand. He wasn't like other burly and robust Viking guys his age. Even for a twenty-year-old, Hiccup had been rather scrawny ever since he was little. While other boys wore armor, Hiccup stuck with his simple green tunic and yak fur cardigan. He did nothing to control his tousled brown hair other than maybe adding a short braid or two at the nape of his neck. Hiccup was just absolutely average. The kind of unremarkable, skinny, freckled boy who was easily overlooked in a crowd.

There weren't that many things remarkable about Hiccup, but he did have a certain invisible charm about him, a certain twinkle in his grassy green eyes, that seemed to put others at ease.

Hiccup stood on the porch, and yawned, rubbing his eyes. He looked out over the picturesque village down the road, breathed in deeply through his nose and sighed. All things considered, it was a very pretty village, peaceful and quiet. So, it had a certain charm, he supposed. Although, it wasn't exactly his style.

He heard soft purring emanating from the roof above him. He looked up to see a familiar dark face and green eyes staring down at him. He smiled up at the little baby night fury.

Hiccup gestured for the little dragon to climb in his satchel, as was their daily routine, but the dragon groaned. The boy knew how much his friend didn't like hiding in there, but it was a necessary precaution.

For you see, the villagers in town considered dragons to be as dangerous as wild boars, or bears, or wolves, and were afraid of them. Training dragons was not a new concept however. There were other faraway places Hiccup read about that had started to integrate dragons as part of their daily life. But not this remote Viking village. To most Vikings, dragons were a predator to their farms' livestock, not a creature you keep as a pet. It wasn't really their fault, though. Dragons could be extremely dangerous when provoked. But Hiccup and his mother were different from most Viking families.

His mother, Valka, was a gifted medicine woman and came to this village to be a healer, for both dragons and people alike. That's why their house was outside the village, in the middle of a wide, open prairie. Fresh air and plenty of space to fly. It was a home welcome to any dragon in need of care.

Although, most of the villagers were too afraid to come directly to their cottage for medical attention because of the injured or ill dragons they periodically kept in their stables for recovery. So, Hiccup helped his mother by making prescription deliveries to the houses in town.

Typically, the villagers put up with their 'dragon fraternizing' and left Hiccup and his mother alone, but there were a couple times that Toothless decided to follow Hiccup down to the market and… well, people freaked out.

So, after a little convincing, promising the young night fury slices of tuna for a treat, little Toothless finally climbed into Hiccup's satchel, curling around himself to nap. Hiccup sighed, letting his dragon sleep. Under the satchel's flap, he stroked Toothless's head and the dragon purred contentedly. Hiccup smiled, wishing he could sleep in for once, but he had a job to do.

Hiccup lightly stepped off the porch, careful of his metal pegleg, and closed the front gate behind him. He started down the dusty road, Toothless returning to his nap inside his satchel. A bluebird sweetly tweeted and flew past Hiccup's head, fluttering off toward the village just down the path. Hiccup smiled.

 _Little town, it's a quiet village_

 _Every day like the one before_

 _Little town full of little people_

 _Waking up to say…_

He gazed up at the clock tower and watched the hour hand strike seven o'clock. Right on que, the whole village seemed to wake up and begin the day.

 _Bonjour!_

 _Bonjour!_

 _Bonjour!_

 _Bonjour!_

 _Bonjour!_

 _There goes the Baker with his tray like always,_

 _The same old bread and rolls to sell…_

 _Every morning just the same_

 _since the morning that we came_

 _to this poor provincial town –_

"Good morning, Hiccup!" he heard someone call. Hiccup turned around and saw it was one of his friendly neighbors.

"Good morning, Monsieur Jean. Have you lost something again?" Hiccup replied.

"Why yes! I believe I have," the pot-bellied man answered. "The problem is… I can't seem to remember what!" Hiccup gave a little laugh. The man was always forgetting things like that. Monsieur Jean shrugged. "Oh well. I'm sure it will come to me. Where are you off to?"

Hiccup looked down at the book in his hands. "To return this book to Gobber. It's about two lovers in Fair Verona."

Monsieur Jean scrunched his face. "Sounds boring."

Hiccup shrugged and went on his merry way, passing through the market place, pretending he couldn't hear the people around him.

 _Look there he goes, that boy is strange, no question_

 _Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?_

 _Never part of any crowd,_

' _Cause his head's up on some cloud_

 _No denying he's a funny one that Hiccup_

 _Bonjour! Good day! How is your family?_

 _Bonjour! Good day! How is your wife?_

 _I need six eggs! That's too expensive!_

Hiccup shook his head and sighed.

 _There must be more than this provincial life!_

The bell rang as Hiccup opened the door, stepping into the tiny shop. "Ah, if it isn't the only bookworm in town!" greeted the large Scottish man, hammering away at a glowing sword on an anvil. "So where did you run off to this week?" he asked, his silver tooth glinting.

Hiccup smiled. The town's blacksmith, Gobber, never questioned Hiccup's love for reading. Their mutual love for 'curious' baubles and junk was really the one and only thing they had in common, but Hiccup could always count on a friendly welcome from him.

"Two cities in Northern Italy. I didn't want to come back," Hiccup teased. Then he peered over the little bookshelf at the back of the shop. "Have you got any new places to go?" he asked.

Gobber shook his head and moved around the back of the counter. He kept lots of things that no Viking wanted to keep anymore. "I'm afraid not. But you may reread any of the old ones that you like," he said, waving to the same small pile of seven books.

It didn't take long for Hiccup to decide. Tucking the book under his arm, he reopened the door. "Your library makes our small corner of the world feel big," Hiccup said to Gobber's turned back.

"Bon voyage!" said Gobber with a small wave over his shoulder. He was already getting distracted by a new customer asking to repair his mace. Hiccup just smiled and stepped out.

 _Look there he goes, the boy is so peculiar_

 _I wonder if he's feeling well_

 _With a dreamy, far-off look_

 _And his nose stuck in a book_

 _What a puzzle to the rest of us is Hiccup_

Hiccup finally found a good spot by the fountain to sit momentarily as he flipped through the familiar pages. He gently set his satchel down and Toothless wiggled a little inside the bag. His black nose was peeking through the top flap, his nostrils flaring, sniffing for treats. Hiccup was too distracted by his book to worry too much about it. He absent-mindedly petted Toothless's head and held out a piece of fish, which Toothless swiped from his hand in the blink of an eye and curled back inside his satchel, contently chewing. Hiccup knew Toothless didn't care for books and stories all that much, but the little dragon was still a good listener.

 _Oh, isn't this… amazing?_

 _It's my favorite part because – you'll see_

 _Here's where she meets Prince Charming_

 _But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three…_

It was a good thing Hiccup could easily fall into a good story, relishing every word, because he could tune out the gossip floating around the village.

 _Now it's no wonder why his name is "Hiccup"_

 _He used to be scrawny as a twig_

 _But behind that fair façade_

 _I'm afraid he's rather odd_

 _Very diff'rent from the rest of us_

 _He's nothing like the rest of us_

 _Yes, diff'rent from the rest of us is Hiccup!_

From atop a nearby hill, outside the village, there sat two large steeds, their riders looking down at the village entrance. The first was a tall, blonde woman, her hair in a military pixie cut. Her name was Mala. Unbeknownst to Hiccup, she held a spyglass, watching him from a distance, through the village gate.

"Look at him, Ruffnut," Mala said coyly to her long, blonde haired companion. "My future husband. Hiccup is the most handsome boy in the village. That makes him the best."

Ruffnut shrugged and scoffed, "But he's so… well-read! And you're so… athletically inclined."

Still, Mala didn't listen. "I know. Hiccup can be as argumentative as he is handsome."

Ruffnut brightened. "Exactly! Who needs him when you've got us?"

Mala cast a side glance at Ruffnut, not convinced. "Yes… But ever since the war, I've felt like I've been missing something. And he's the only boy that gives me that sense of… "

"Mmm… _je ne sais quoi?_ " Ruffnut suggested.

Mala shook her head, motioning her stead forward down the path toward the village. "I don't know what that means."

 _Right from the moment when I met him, saw him_

 _I said he's gorgeous and I fell_

 _Here in town, there's only he_

 _Who is beautiful as me_

 _So, I'm making plans to woo and marry Hiccup_

Three boys: Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut grouped together and watched the pair ride into town. They all admired Mala.

 _Look there she goes!_

 _Isn't she dreamy?!_

 _Madame Mala, oh she's so cute!_

 _Be still, my heart_

 _I'm hardly breathing_

 _She's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!_

Ruffnut leered at the boys. "It's never going to happen ladies."

Mala made to follow Hiccup through the bustling crowd.

 _Bonjour!_

 _Pardon – M_

 _Good day – H_

 _Mais oui!_

 _You call this bacon?_

 _What lovely flowers!_

 _Some cheese_

 _Ten yards!_

 _One pound_

 _Excuse me – M_

 _I'll get the knife_

 _Please let me through! – M_

 _This bread_

 _Those fish_

 _It's stale!_

 _They smell!_

 _Madame's mistaken_

 _Well, maybe so_

 _There must be more than this provincial life! – H_

 _Just watch, I'm going to be Hiccup's wife! – M_

 _Look there he goes_

 _That boy is strange but special_

 _A most peculiar monsieur indeed_

 _It's a pity and a sin_

 _He doesn't quite fit in_

' _Cause he really is a funny boy_

 _A handsome but a funny boy_

 _He really is a funny boy…_

 _That Hiccup!_

For some reason, at that moment, Hiccup felt a chill up his spine and turned around. But the villagers were operating just as normally as ever. Before he could wonder if he was going crazy, he heard a distinctly familiar voice rang out.

"Good morning, Hiccup!"

Hiccup cringed slightly as he turned. "Mala," he greeted, if only to be polite.

The truth was, he didn't _hate_ Mala, but he really disliked her love for hunting and killing dragons for sport. She had been that way ever since he met her. But even then, she was a huge show-off and she also bullied others, throwing around her influence to get whatever she wanted without thinking about the consequences. And lately, she'd been paying way more attention to Hiccup than usual. Hiccup had no idea why. He was nothing like Mala. Why would she keep pursuing him?

"Wonderful book you got there," Mala said as she caught up to him.

This shocked Hiccup and got his attention. "Have you read it?"

Mala shrugged. "Well… not that one, but you know… books…"

"Right..."

The awkward silence was drawn out until Mala spoke again.

"For your table," she said, whipping out a bouquet of flowers. "Shall I join you for dinner this evening?"

Hiccup hesitantly took the flowers, but he needed a way to let her down gently. "Sorry… not this evening…" He said slowly.

"Busy?" Mala asked.

"Um… no…" Hiccup said, before awkwardly turning and walking away. He couldn't leave quick enough.

Still, Mala was left where she stood, clenching her fist. _Just what was it going to take to win over that stupid boy?!_

"So! Moving on?" Ruffnut asked, popping up behind her.

Mala shook her head, sneering. "No, Ruffnut. It's the ones that play hard-to-get that are the sweetest prey. That's what makes Hiccup so appealing. He hasn't made a fool of himself just to win my favor. I wonder, what do you call that?"

"Dignity?" Ruffnut suggested.

Mala nodded. "It's outrageously attractive, don't you agree?"

Over their shoulders, a group of love-struck boys were smiling goofily, flexing their muscles. Mala winked at them and laughed to herself as one of them fainted. Ruffnut just followed behind.


	3. How Does a Moment Last Forever?

**B &B - Chapter Two: "How Does a Moment Last Forever?" **

**One of my favorite scenes to write. Tells you so much about how Hiccup/Belle wishes to find that that special someone in their own time and have a beautiful relationship like his/her parents did. Again, sorry for any continuity errors. There were just so many ways to write this story that I liked that I tried them all! But I wanted to post the chapters anyway, so here!**

Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief as he checked over his shoulder and saw that Mala wasn't following him. Toothless chirped from inside the satchel, his eyes pleading to come out. They were outside the village now, so it was safe. Hiccup nodded and opened the flap. Toothless leaped onto his arm and climbed up Hiccup's sleeve until perching high on his shoulder. He stretched his wings and shook himself from nose to tail. Well, _half_ a tail.

For when Hiccup first found Toothless as a young boy, the tiny hatchling was all alone in the woods and was missing his left tail fin. Hiccup couldn't tell if it was from a birth defect or an old injury healed over, but he could relate to the little guy. He too had a missing left leg, replaced with a metal peg leg.

So, Hiccup took Toothless in and has been trying to build the right prototype prosthetic to replace his missing tail fin ever since. So far, he'd been making good progress, but a new problem always seemed to arrive with the newest version. Still, he was determined. Once he finally gets it right, he'll make a real one for when Toothless would grow to full-size. A part of Hiccup was sad to think about that day to come. He knew Toothless couldn't stay forever, but he had to at least give his friend that choice, to stay or be free.

Toothless's ears perked up as Hiccup approached the cottage. But he didn't need to read Toothless's calm demeanor to know what it was, for he could slightly hear it too. The notes of a sad music box played out to them through the open window of the cottage. Hiccup smiled to himself, the song familiar yet fragile to him. He stepped on the porch and paused for a moment outside the door, listening before silently stepping inside.

Inside, he found the familiar shape of his mother sitting at her apothecary table as she worked, grinding yarrow root into powder. She was so engrossed with the song of the music box that she didn't notice Hiccup come in. And Hiccup didn't want her to, not yet.

He rarely got to see this side of his mom. Her mind wandering to far-off places where they were once a whole and happy family again. Hiccup wished he could go with her and see what she saw in her mind. What did she remember that he didn't?

Hiccup closed his eyes, trying to picture it, listening to his mother's soft voice sing.

 _How does a moment last forever?_

 _How can a story never die?_

 _It is love we must hold on to_

 _Never easy but we try_

Valka's eyes cast over to the painting that hung in the corner. It featured her husband, Stoick, kneeling down and asking a young Valka for her hand in marriage. He was a humble man and didn't have much to offer, but he gave her a bright red rose to ask with instead of a ring. Valka smiled to herself.

 _Sometimes our happiness is captured_

 _Somehow a time and place stand still_

 _Love lives on inside our hearts_

 _And always will_

Hiccup opened his eyes as the music box stopped playing and Valka finally noticed him in the room.

"Oh, Hiccup," she said, immediately putting on a bright smile. "Did you and Toothless have a good time in town today, sweetheart?"

Hiccup smiled back. "Got a new book today!" he said, trying to sound excited.

Valka finished grinding her yarrow root and started looking high and low through her shelves of ingredients. "Do you remember where I put the –?"

"Dragon nip?" Hiccup playfully asked, finding the drawer before her.

Valka blinked in surprise. "Yes, well… I also need to find –"

Hiccup already opened the other drawers containing the herbs he knew his mother needed by heart. He gave her a playful smirk.

Valka's face screwed up in playful irritation and shot him a look. "Yeah, yeah, smarty-pants. I may be well in my years, but I'm not batty!" she laughed, returning to work.

Hiccup laughed too, then paused for a moment, leaning against the table, before asking, "Mom, do you think I'm odd?"

Valka arched an eyebrow at him. "Odd? My son, 'odd'? Where did you get an idea like that?"

Hiccup shrugged. "You know... people talk."

Valka sighed and shook her head in disappointment. "It is a small village, you know… small-minded as well. But small also means safe."

Hiccup shrugged, accepting her answer, but she wasn't done yet.

"Even back in Berk, I knew a girl, like you, who was so… ahead of her time… different. People mocked her, until the day she met a man who could see how big her heart was."

Valka tried to hand Hiccup her heavy bowl of ground yarrow root, but her hand started to shake under the weight. Hiccup swiftly took it from her with ease before she could drop it. Pausing, he looked up in his mother's eyes.

"Please, just tell me one more thing about him," he said, waiting patiently.

Valka scrunched her face, thinking. "Your father was… fearless."

Hiccup smiled at that.

"Fearless…"

He had heard that one a dozen times already, but he loved the way his mother said it.

Then Hiccup's smile faded. "I miss him."

Valka smoothed his hair with her hand. "Me too, sweetie, but he is still here with us," she said, kissing him on the forehead.

Trying his luck, he pushed for another question. "I know that's your favorite song, but what was Dad's favorite?" he asked, gesturing toward the music box.

His mother scrunched her nose as she laughed mischievously. "I'll tell you that one when you find that special love of your life."

Hiccup frowned. "So, never, then."

Valka patted his arm. "Oh, come on! I've seen the way Mala looks at you!"

Hiccup groaned and rolled his eyes. "Please! Mala is the worst of them!"

"Agreed. But I'm just saying that you can't give up yet. Don't worry, you two will find each other, eventually, I'm sure."

Hiccup sighed, "Whatever you say, Mom."

…

With the last of her medical supplies packed in the giant saddlebags on Cloudjumper's flank, Valka used her staff, hooking around her dragon's wingclaw. Cloudjumper gently lifted his wing, helping the woman up. She hoisted herself onto his broad back.

Looking down at her son, Valka asked through her helmet, "So, what can I bring you from the trading post?"

Hiccup thought about it for only a moment. "A rose. Like the one in the painting."

"You ask for that every year," Valka argued.

"And every year you bring it," he said.

"Then I shall bring you another," she answered. "You have my word."

Cloudjumper bowed his large head and allowed Hiccup to step up on one of his horns. The dragon lifted Hiccup high enough to meet his mother. The two humans drew into a warm hug, each squeezing the other a little tighter.

"Bye, Mom."

"Bye, Son."

They finally pulled apart and Cloudjumper carefully lowered Hiccup down, waiting for the boy to step off first. Valka made herself comfortable on her dragon's back. "Come on, Cloudjumper. You know the way," she said, lightly waving her staff.

Hiccup stepped back as the dragon stretched his large wings. "I'll see you tomorrow!" he called over Cloudjumper's wingbeats, swooping away.

"Right! Tomorrow with the rose!" his mother called back.

Hiccup watched until the dragon shrank and disappeared in the distance.

"Stay safe…" he murmured to himself.


	4. Hiccup Reprise

**B &B - Chapter Three: "Hiccup Reprise" **

**Another great scene to write. Really emphasizes Hiccup/Belle feeling trapped and trying to connect to a young kid that reminds him/her of him/herself.**

With the rest of the day off, Hiccup figured he had time to try out one of his latest inventions. It was supposed to gently wash the laundry for him, using the rotation of a barrel to mix the soap water with the delicate garments.

After an hour, he finally had it set in the village square. Barrowing Gobber's donkey, he spurred the creature to walk in circles around the village's washing pool, dragging the barrel behind him.

It seemed to be working and Hiccup smiled, sitting back and relaxing with his book in his hand.

"What are you doing?" a young boy stopped and asked, holding a toy Terrible Terror in his hand.

Hiccup looked up, surprised he had an audience. "The laundry," he answered. Then he saw the boy was staring at the cover of his book, which featured a green dragon, just like the toy he was playing with. Hiccup looked down at his book and then up at the boy. "Come here. I want to show you something."

Hesitantly, the young boy approached and sat beside Hiccup. After a while, with some practice and instruction, Hiccup finally managed to teach the boy to read the first sentence in his book.

"The green… t-terror… that flies… over… the… d-dark… wood."

Hiccup smiled brightly. "That was amazing!"

The young boy blushed at his accomplishment, hugging his toy.

But then a raspy voice boomed, "What do you think you're doing?"

It was the sheepherder, Mildew. The old man didn't like Hiccup, and Hiccup didn't like him either. Mildew was a grump for tradition and didn't believe Vikings should be educated. According to him, all a Viking needed was his axe and shield, not books and ideas.

"You're teaching another to read?" he scoffed, stomping his dragon bone staff to the ground, to which the young boy flinched. "Isn't one weakling enough?"

With one mean look, Mildew scared the young boy so much that he scurried off, giving Hiccup one apologetic glance as he hurried home.

"Maybe we should teach _him_ a lesson," chuckled Bone Crusher over Mildew's shoulder, cracking his knuckles.

Before Hiccup could protest, Dogs Breath the Duh-brain and Bone Crusher both grabbed his laundry contraption and threw its contents in the mud.

Hiccup could do nothing but scowl at their turned backs walking away as he was left to pick up his ruined clothes. He sighed as he knelt down. He'd have to start the whole batch all over again. Darn it. If only he was strong enough to tell them all off. Then maybe he and his mother wouldn't have to put up with their crap. If only he was stronger, more like…

He stopped himself before he could finish that sentence, a wave of sorrow washing over him. Hiccup shook his head and sighed. There was no point in wishing for the impossible, anyway…

…

Elsewhere in the village, Mala was admiring herself in a mirror outside of an antique shop. This was a known habit of hers and most of the villagers ignored her as she studied herself, making faces and turning her figure around.

"You are the wildest, most gorgeous thing I've ever seen," said Mala to her reflection. "Nobody deserves you. But at least I know our children will be beautiful."

Ruffnut stepped in and lightly tapped her shoulder. "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

Mala rolled her eyes. "What is it, Ruffnut?"

"A certain damsel is in distress," Ruffnut noted, gesturing down the road where Hiccup was picking up the last remnants of his ruined clothes.

Mala sighed, a little disappointed for her session to end. "Oh well. It's hero time." Then she whispered at the mirror, "I'm not done with you yet."

After Mala walked off, Ruffnut, too, whispered at her own reflection, wriggling her eyebrows, "Me either."

…

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup turned, the laundry basket under his arm full of unwashed clothes and wanted to groan. He was not in the mood to deal with Mala.

"I heard you had trouble with Mildew. He never really liked me either," said Mala, catching up to him. "Let me give you some advice about the villagers, Hiccup," said she, cutting off Hiccup's path to the house. "They're never going to trust the kind of change you and your mother want to bring."

"All I wanted was to teach a child how to read," said Hiccup.

Mala shook her head. "Oh Hiccup, the only children you should be concerned with are your own."

Hiccup's eyes wanted to pop out of his head. He didn't know if he was more appalled or more infuriated. Still, he replied patiently, although hinting heavily, "I'm _not_ ready to have children."

"Maybe you haven't met the right woman," Mala said, trying to lean closer.

Hiccup dodged around her arm. "It's a small village, Mala. I've met them _all_."

"Well, maybe you need to take another look. Some of us have changed, you know."

Hiccup had had enough. He turned on her. "Mala! Please, we can never make each other happy. No one can change… _that_ much."

But instead of understanding, Mala shook her head, almost in sympathy. "Oh, Hiccup. Don't you know what happens to single young men after their parents die?" She nodded her head toward a wagon across the street being loaded with unhappy new recruits. "They get shipped off to the frontlines to battle our coastal enemies. Many of them don't come back. This is our world, Hiccup! And with your unfortunate leg… Well… for simple folk like us, it doesn't get any better."

Hiccup followed her condescending gaze to his peg leg. Everything Mala said was true. He knew that much. And the reality of being forced to fight did scare him, but…

"I may be a farm boy, but I'm not _simple._ And I'm never going to return your affections, Mala. I'm sorry." Hiccup quickly shut the door behind him and bolted it in place.

He waited until he heard Mala turn away, step off the porch, and walk down the dirt path back toward the village. When she rounded the corner, out of sight, Hiccup reopened the door, leaning just inside the frame. Toothless hissed after the woman, picking up on Hiccup's mood.

As much as he hated to agree with Mala, she had a point. Hiccup wasn't like his dad. He wasn't a hero, let alone the warrior type. He probably never would be. But still… that didn't mean he had to settle for a _boring_ life, right?

 _Can you imagine? Me?!_

 _Married to that boorish, heartless –_

 _Mister Hiccup, can't you just see it?_

 _Mister Hiccup, her little pet!_

 _No way! Not me!_

 _I guarantee it!_

 _I want much more than this provincial life!_

He ran off the porch and didn't stop until he reached the top of the hill top that overlooked the valley. Not caring how much it would mess up his clothes or hair, he playfully tumbled down the hillside and rolled through a patch of white dandelions, disturbing their seeds to float away in the breeze. Toothless had chased him and tackled onto Hiccup's chest, making the boy chuckle.

 _I want adventure in the great wide somewhere!_

 _I want it more than I can tell…_

He picked up a dandelion and twirled it in his fingers as he watched the seeds be blown away in the wind. Going where? He knew not.

 _And for once it might be grand…_

 _To have someone understand…_

 _I want so much more than they've got planned._


	5. Valka Lost

**B &B - Chapter five: "Valka lost" **

**Boy it can be difficult to write good action sequences, but here you go! I can't believe I have 304 views already after just one night! You guys are amazing! Thank you! Enjoy!**

Elsewhere, far off in the low skies over the northern woods, the sunny weather from this morning had taken a turn for the worse. The clouds had grown dark, the wind picked up and thunder rumbled frequently overhead. Valka sat atop her dragon looking down at the trees as Cloudjumper anxiously pressed on.

"These woods are lovely," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "I only wish I recognized them." They flew on only a little farther when she turned to her dragon and asked, "Do you know where we are, Cloudjumper? Because I don't."

Cloudjumper looked back at her and grunted, shaking his head.

Just then, a huge lightning bolt erupted out of the ground in front of them, causing Cloudjumper to shriek and rear. Valka did her best to hang on, but the suddenness of the jerk made her slip off her dragon's back. "Cloudjumper!" she cried in alarm.

She freefell through the air, but before she could hit the trees below, Cloudjumper swopped in and tucked her into his chest. Wrapping his wings around them both, they crashed through a line of tall pines before coming to a stop.

Valka crawled out as her dragon unfolded his wings, shaking her dizzy head. "Well _that_ came out of nowhere!" she grumbled, dusting herself off. Cloudjumper winced in pain as he tried to fold his wing back into himself. "Easy, Cloudjumper," Valka said, staying calm. She moved closer to look. "It looks like it was just a sprain. No need to panic."

Valka looked around under the canopy of trees, very unsure of where she was now. The forest from the ground looked very different from above. "We'll just have to find some shelter for now until the storm passes, and your wing feels better," she sighed.

There wasn't much she could do for her dragon, so Valka went about on her own, searching for the portion of supplies that fell out of the saddlebags during their tumble. She grimaced as she found one of her best yarrow root pouches had ripped and scattered the powder all over the ground. What a waste of good medicine.

Just then, she felt a breeze coming from behind where the line of trees fell in their wake. Squinting, she pushed aside some brush with her staff and found an opening. It was a dirt road.

"A new path! What luck, Cloudjumper! We may just have found ourselves a shortcut!" Valka exclaimed, smiling back at her dragon. Still, Cloudjumper whimpered his protest. "We'll be just fine. One path closes, another one opens."

As they continued down the path, the breeze was getting colder by the minute. It wasn't much longer before Valka saw swirls of white mist curling over the ground. Cloudjumper whimpered some more.

"It's alright, boy," Valka said, petting him behind the neck. "It's just a bit of snow… in June…"

Just then, she noticed something odd on the road ahead of them – a disturbance in the path. Valka gestured for her dragon to wait as she sneakily approached. Holding out her staff, she quickly stabbed at the suspicious mound of dirt and leaves and snow.

The trap's iron jaws quickly snapped shut with a loud _clang!_

Just as she suspected. Valka stood and shook her head in disgust. "More dragon traps… Perhaps we should turn back, Cloudjumper. I hate to say it, but we're lost, and this path isn't safe."

Just then, Cloudjumper tensed. Valka looked around the dark forest but saw nothing. Then she heard voices over the ridge above them, followed by torchlight.

"There's one! Down there!" yelled a gruff voice.

Valka knew immediately who they were. Dragon Hunters.

"Go, Cloudjumper! Go! Go!" she urged her dragon as she quickly leapt on his back.

Cloudjumper took off wickedly fast through the woods. With the thick tree canopy above him and his sprained wing, he really had no choice but to do his best, swooping and weaving between trees to try and lose the hunters.

Arrows from crossbows shot at them from the shadows, but the dragon managed to dodge them all, swooping out of the way and using the trees to his advantage. Valka was no slouch either. She would spot the shiny crossbows in the moonlight and warned him before they could even shoot. But even so, one arrow nearly took a chunk out of her side and another succeeded in knocking her staff from her hands.

Defenseless, Valka lowered herself as flat to Cloudjumper's back as possible. They needed to get out of this forest which the hunters were using for their ambush.

Just then, Valka spotted a clearing up ahead of the path. Without questioning it, Valka directed Cloudjumper to take a dive straight ahead to freedom. Out of the fog, quickly emerged a pair of iron gates, which stood open, but there was no time for her to marvel them. Cloudjumper swooped inside and landed heavily in the snow.

Valka immediately jumped down from her dragon's back, even though weaponless, ready to fight the rest of the hunters who'd try to attack, but oddly enough, none of them came. All of their arrows stopped firing and she could swear that she heard the order for them to retreat.

Still, she waited a while longer before relaxing. "Oh, Cloudjumper, you saved my life! Well done!"

It was then that Valka looked around at her surroundings and noticed she was standing in the courtyard of a ruined, and seemingly abandoned, castle. She was amazed for she hadn't even known such a castle existed out here or for what clan it would've housed.

Then, to her surprise, Valka saw that it wasn't abandoned. She pointed to a nearby stable with a lantern alit and an open stall. "Look! There's fish and water. You're all set my old friend." She looked up at the castle and rubbed her cold hands. "I'll go pay my respects to our unwitting host. Whoever that may be."

She plodded up the front steps to the entrance. Just as she was about to knock, the huge front door swung open to her.

"Oh, thank you," she said, stepping inside. "Sorry to barge in on you like… this…" her voice trailed off as she looked around the door and realized no one was there.

 _Just the wind,_ Valka told herself. Although doubt in that statement immediately sprouted for she had to push significantly hard against the heavy door to close it.

"Hello?" she called to the large empty foyer. "I'm just a traveler seeking shelter from the bitter storm…" No one answered from the dark shadows. "Sorry to disturb you," she said, taking off her fur cloak and hesitantly hanging it on a nearby coat stand. She rubbed her hands, trying to warm them. "Is anyone home? Is anyone awake?"

She thought she heard a bit of whispering behind her, but looking around, she saw no movement. "Excuse me?" she asked the empty air. Still no response.

Shrugging her shoulders, she moved toward a table where she noticed stood an intricately designed mantle clock and an elegant candelabra. "Oh my," she breathed, her fingers tracing over the clock's surface. "Hiccup would _certainly_ like you. All those cogs and gears…" Then she admired the sculpted gold surface of the candelabra. "But _I_ would certainly like _you_ on my kitchen table."

Just then, a trail of music emanated through an open side door leading to a ballroom. Setting the objects aside, Valka prepared herself to meet this mysterious musician. But she only found that the ballroom behind the door was empty. The music on the harpsicord suddenly stopped. Valka blinked several times, sure that she had seen the candles on the harpsicord's music stand aglow not a moment ago.

 _I must be seeing and hearing things. Too much excitement within the last hour_ , she tried to convince herself. Shaking her head, she turned and walked back toward the lit fireplace in the grand foyer.

"Well, wherever you are," she called out once more, "I'm just going to warm myself by the fire."

As Valka knelt down and rubbed her hands before the fireplace, a delicious smell wafted up her nose. It didn't take her long before she noticed the long table full of food. She looked over her shoulder back at the foyer and called out, "Are you expecting guests? Or is all of this food for me?"

She got no reply, but there was so much food that she hoped it would go unnoticed if some was missing. She was very hungry after her long journey here.

"Okay then… Well, thank you!" she exclaimed before sitting down, grabbing a turkey leg and stuffing her face.

Just as she was thinking that she could use a refreshment, she heard a tiny clinking sound. Her eyes grew wide as a little teacup and saucer slid toward her across the table as though by an invisible hand.

Then from the side of the teacup emerged a face. The little teacup looked up at her with painted earnest eyes. His mouth opened, and he whispered, "My mum said I'm not supposed to move because it will seem scary. Sorry."

Valka raised an eyebrow at the teacup and gulped. "It's quite alright," she answered.

Quickly rising from her chair, she briskly went back to the foyer and grabbed her fur cloak. "I, uh… cannot… thank you enough for your hospitality," she said once more to the empty foyer, not sure who was watching her now. "I'll just… bid you adieu… and good night."

With that, she stepped out into the cold evening and called for Cloudjumper. Having already had his fill of fish, the dragon came to her at once and lifted her on his back. She was about to usher him to leave when she looked over and spotted the castle garden. Just inside the hedge was a line of rose bushes.

"No, wait! Wait! Roses! I nearly forgot!" Valka said, completely dismissing her earlier fears. "I promised Hiccup a rose…"

Cloudjumper whined, pawing the ground, but Valka stepped off her dragon and climbed over the hedge into the garden. Surely one of these will make Hiccup happy…

Finding the perfect rose bud, Valka reached behind the flower, but winced as she pricked her finger on a thorn. Reaching again, she was more careful this time and gently bent the stem until it came free. "There!" she said, happily.

All of a sudden, there was a loud thud that shook the ground. Cloudjumper's cries reached their climax. Valka turned and stared up, eyes wide with terror, as a huge dark shadow loomed over her, blocking out the moon.


	6. Who are you?

**B &B – Chapter six: "Who are you?" **

**Okay, so here's my first continuity problem: Is Toothless supposed to be big or small? Well, I haven't decided yet, so for now he's just whatever size he wants to be. I know, I know. I'm sorry, but please keep in mind that this story is in the editing phase and will be finalized in the future. If you have any ideas to make the story better, please share kindly in a review by all means! Also, slight nod to Horrorfan6's Hiccstrid version of Beauty and the Beast. And thank you for 459 views in under 24 hours! You guys are awesome! Thank you!**

Hiccup suddenly heard loud flapping wings heading toward him. He turned around to see Cloudjumper swooping down out of the sky, nearly tackling him to the ground.

"What the –?! Cloudjumper? What are you doing here?"

Cloudjumper was frantic, running in circles and pounding the ground in agitation. Hiccup had never seen Cloudjumper like this. It took all of the boy's training to get the large dragon to calm down.

"Cloudjumper! Easy, boy! Easy!" Hiccup spoke calmly, quickly ducking underneath the dragon's spinning tail. But seeing the scratches all over the dragon's body and the missing saddlebags from his flank rose Hiccup's worry all the more.

He pulled down on Cloudjumper's horn, trying to get the dragon to focus on him. "Cloudjumper, where's Mom? Where is she?" Hiccup snapped, anxious what the dragon's response was going to be.

The dragon's gaze finally focused on the boy, but his yellow eyes were very anxious and looking to Hiccup for guidance.

"Okay, boy. Take me to her," Hiccup commanded.

…

Wasting no time, Hiccup mounted Cloudjumper, letting the dragon lead the way.

They turned right at a fork in the road, (a huge fallen tree blocking their path to the left). It didn't take long for Hiccup to find the abandoned saddlebags and the yarrow root scattered over the ground. His mother wasn't in sight.

Hiccup hopped down to the ground and was surprised to hear a soft crunch under his feet. (Well, foot and pegleg.) "What in the –?"

The ground was sprinkled in a fine layer of snow. This normally wouldn't have surprised him, given the region, but it was in the middle of June, at the height of summer!

"This is not normal," Hiccup decided.

Then Toothless moaned for Hiccup to come look at something he found. Hiccup knelt by his dragon and gasped. He found the dragon trap snapped shut in the snow. Hiccup stroked Toothless's bristled back as the Nightfury hissed. "Stay close, bud," Hiccup said quietly.

Piece by piece, Hiccup started to put together the story of what he thought happened here. His mother's boot prints were wide spread between each footfall. This meant she was running. Discarded crossbow arrows embedded in the tree bark told him from what… Dragon Hunters.

Hiccup kept his eyes narrowed on the forest around him and prayed he wasn't going to find his mother's mangled body lying in a ditch.

Imagine his surprise as he stepped forward into a clearing and out of the mist loomed a great stone wall with a pair of tall iron gates standing open to him. And beyond the gates was a great magnificent castle.

The looming castle stretched up into the sky, its turrets and towers like many fingers pointing tauntingly at the gods. Its windows were all dark, and the whole structure had an aura of coldness. It looked abandoned and empty.

Then the boy's eyes fell on something long and skinny left on the ground just before the gate. Hiccup's lungs went ice cold. He rushed toward the familiar object lying half buried in snow, taking it in his hands. His mother's staff.

It was easy for him to piece together. She must've been taken prisoner by the hunters using this castle as their fortress.

If Hiccup had lingered longer, perhaps he would've noticed how the hunters' tracks strangely skidded to a stop and didn't take a single step inside the gate. But Hiccup wasn't thinking about that. It was all he could do to get himself to stop picturing the worst happening to his mother.

Thinking he saw movement from the castle window, Hiccup quickly pushed Cloudjumper behind the iron gate to hide. "I'm sorry, boy, but you're injured and too conspicuous to help," he whispered to the dragon, stroking his large head. Cloudjumper whined at the boy, but Hiccup shook his head. "I'll try to sneak in and get her out myself. If anything should happen… we'll call for you," he answered, trying not to worry the poor creature further.

Cloudjumper still warbled in concern but did as the boy ordered, hiding behind the castle gate and staying out of sight.

As Hiccup stealthily snuck closer and closer toward the castle, he couldn't help but marvel its structure. He had read about many castles, but none he could remember were described quite like this one. The overall architecture reminded him of Scottish fortresses with tall round towers and thick stone walls stretching between them.

Every tower was well fortified and secure. Hiccup's eyes kept darting back and forth, just waiting for the shadow of a guard to come swooping down on him. But none came.

Finally, Hiccup reached the front castle steps. Before he approached the door, however, he took his mother's staff in his hands, readying himself. He sighed, knowing it wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all he had. For an abandoned fortress, this place was surprisingly tidy. No discarded weapons. No trash. Not even fallen bodies. What kind of a castle takeover was this?

Seeing no other way inside, Hiccup slowly pushed open the giant front door. "Hello?" he asked the empty foyer. Not hearing a reply, Hiccup slowly stepped inside. He moved in slow circles, looking around the grand space. "Mom?" he called.

He stepped further inside, but no one came to stop him. Somehow, this only made him more nervous. Then Hiccup thought he heard whispering and turned to catch the people in the act.

"Who said that?" he spoke again to the empty room. "Who's there?"

But no one answered. He was alone with the furniture.

Then he heard a new sound. It was very faint, but Hiccup could hear a woman coughing in the distance. That distinctive sound echoing through the castle.

"Mom? Mom!" Hiccup shouted as he followed the sound up the grand staircase. Losing track of her for a moment, he waited. Then, hearing another cough, he ducked left into a spiraling tower, taking the steps up two at a time. *Toothless was too big to fit through the doorway, so he was forced to stay put where he was.

With every step, the coughing grew louder, until he finally turned the corner and, to his shock, found his mother locked inside a dungeon cell.

"Mom! There you are!" he cried out of relief. At least she hadn't been tortured by hunters. Although she didn't look in the best shape either. She looked very tired and weak.

"Hiccup?! How did you find me?" she exclaimed with equal astonishment.

Hiccup set down her staff and knelt in front of her. "I was so worried! I found Cloudjumper and the saddlebags –" He stopped, surprised at the touch of her hands. "Your hands are freezing! We have to get you home –"

"No!" she snapped, surprising him. "Hiccup, you must leave at once! This castle – it's – it's alive!"

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup asked.

He had never seen his mother so frightened before. She was shaking like a leaf and her eyes were wildly searching, as though paranoid that someone was listening.

"You have to go now!" she wheezed with a terrible cough, "Before _she_ finds you!"

" _Who?"_ he asked.

Just as he said it, there was an eerie sound of large wings flapping, and the rumbling of a low growl emanating from the dark.

Standing, Hiccup reached again for his mother's staff, bracing himself. "Who's there? Who are you?"

"Who are _you_? _"_ a young woman's voice replied in return.

"I've come for my mother," Hiccup answered, still not sure where in the dark the voice was coming from.

"Your mother is a thief," the voice growled angrily.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Liar!" he said, raising his voice.

The voice drew closer. "She was caught red-handed stealing a rose!"

This made Hiccup pause, suddenly realizing his mistake. "I… I asked for the rose," he said, "Punish me, not her."

Valka shook her head from inside her prison. "No, Hiccup, she means _forever!"_ Then she growled under her breath, "Apparently that's what happens here when you pick a flower!"

"A life sentence for a _rose?"_ Hiccup gasped. "How is that _fair?!"_

A large shadow suddenly leapt into Hiccup's path, forcing him to jump back. "I received eternal damnation for one," the voice growled from the safety of the dark, "I'm merely locking her away. Now, do you still wish to take your mother's place?"

Hiccup hesitated, waiting suspiciously. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Come into the light," he demanded.

When the shadow gave no reply, Hiccup grabbed the nearest torch off the wall and held it out in front of him…

What he saw almost made him drop it.

Leering down at him was truly a beast of a dragon. The deadliest Deadly Nadder, he'd ever seen, perched on the wall above him with coiled back legs and long talons digging into the solid stone. Her large wings, protruding from her shoulder blades in place of arms, were spotted in a multitude of kaleidoscope colors, and would've been mesmerizing if not for her wickedly spiked tail curling in irritation behind her.

But what intrigued Hiccup the most, however, wasn't her scales, or spikes, or claws. When the beast turned her head, he was struck with how… _human_ it looked. Her skin was entirely covered in sky-blue scales, and her nose had a little horn growing out the top, and her teeth were pointed like a shark's, but otherwise, she didn't look like a dragon. In fact, on closer inspection, she wouldn't have been that much taller than him. Still, her wings gave the impression of a huge being. Her torso was rather hourglass shaped, and around the spikes crowning her head, fell long blonde hair, which was tied back in an intricate braid. Even her claws curling out of the top joint of her wings were more like fingers.

Yet her most intriguing feature, were her eyes. They weren't wild and predatorily like dragon eyes. They weren't even the right color. Normal dragon eyes were yellow or green. These were blue; intelligent and fierce electric-blue. Now, they narrowed at him intensely.

"Choose," she spat, teeth glinting in the torchlight.

"Hiccup, no! Listen to me!" Valka barked. Hiccup looked at his mother, who was pushing herself against the bars furiously. "I already lost your father, I _won't_ lose you too! Now, go! G-g-go!" But she was just barely able to finish her sentence before she gave in to another terrible coughing fit.

Hiccup's heart twisted. He couldn't let her stay here. She'd die for sure.

"Alright, Mom, I'll leave," he said, if only to ease her mind. Thinking quickly, he turned back to the beast and said, "I need a minute alone with her."

The beast turned her back on him. (And although the thought did occur to him that he could try to whack her on the head, Hiccup felt it extremely unwise to attack her.)

"Are you so cold-hearted you won't allow a son to hug his mother goodbye?" Hiccup pleaded, layering it on a little thick.

Still the beast wouldn't look at him.

"Forever can spare a minute," Hiccup argued.

The beast stopped at that, then after a moment considering, she turned to him and warned, "Once this door closes, it will never open again." Then she pulled a hidden lever and allowed him to step inside.

Once the cell door opened, Valka and Hiccup immediately embraced in a tight hug.

"Oh, Mom, I should've been with you –"

Pulling away, Valka cupped her hands on his face. "No, Hiccup. Listen to me. It's alright, my son. Now, please, go. Live your life and forget me."

" _Forget you?"_ Hiccup shook his head. "I'm everything I am because of you."

Valka brushed the hair out of his face. She looked deep into his fearful eyes, drinking them in while she still could. "I love you, son. Don't be afraid."

Hiccup shook his head. "I love you too, Mom. But I'm not afraid."

They pulled into one last hug when Hiccup decided to make his move.

"Don't worry. I'll escape, I promise," he whispered.

Before he could let his mother figure out his meaning, he shoved her out of the cell as gently yet forcibly as he could, then closed the cell door on himself.

The beast blinked, almost stunned by this. "You took her place?"

"She's my mother," Hiccup answered, shaking his head as though it should've been obvious.

The beast huffed, "And you're a fool."

Valka lunged back to the cell door, tears already falling from her eyes. She reached through the bars, grabbing onto her son's arm. "No, Hiccup! Please! My boy! Not, my boy!" she moaned.

"Mom, it'll be okay. It'll be _okay_ , I promise," Hiccup said, trying to sound as calm and sure of himself as possible, although fear gripped his heart as well. He held onto her hand for as long as possible, her fingers clawing into his arm as she was pulled away.

Hearing her sobbing and pleading on her way out of the castle was too painful for Hiccup to hear. He hurried to the bars of his window and watched as her tiny figure was dragged through the snow by a pair of… _coat stands?_ No, his mind had to be playing tricks on him.

The pair of guards shoved his mother outside the front entrance and closed the iron gate on her. His mother was just a pinprick in the distance, but he could see her collapse against the locked gate in anguish. It made his heart ache.

"Please, go home, Mom. Just go home…" he whispered to himself, tears stinging his eyes. He watched her for another hour before she finally picked herself off the ground and somberly rode away on Cloudjumper. Hiccup wasn't sure if he felt more relieved by it, or more torn up seeing his mother leave, probably for the last time.

He slumped his back against the stone wall of the cell and slid to the cold floor.

 _Now what?_ he wondered.


	7. New Home

**B &B - Chapter seven: New Home **

**This scene wasn't in either B &B films, but this was my own spin on how I wanted their relationship to start. We get to see a little of the Beast's side of the story. And seriously? 506 views? You guys are crazy! Enjoy! **

Hiccup couldn't help but gasp and jump back as the beast suddenly appeared in front of the cell again. She was scowling, her eyes narrow as she glared down at him through the bars. Hiccup didn't know what to expect.

"Come with me," she said gruffly. She reached down with her wing and, after some time clawing at it in futility, she gave up and, instead, hurled her sharp tail down at the handle, slicing the lock apart. The door finally creaked open.

"W-Where are you taking me?" Hiccup asked.

"Quiet," she snapped, "You will find out soon enough."

She led him down the tower and through the castle until she brought him through a long, carpeted corridor. Finally, they stopped in front of a large room with a four-poster bed and all the vanities of a fancy castle chamber. Stepping inside, Hiccup was very confused.

The beast huffed as she stood at the door, "There's a storm coming. You shouldn't be in the highest tower, too cold and unsafe. You will remain in here, instead."

Taking a glance out the tall window, Hiccup saw that she was right. Dark storm clouds were rolling closer to the castle, the rumble of thunder not that far off. That would certainly explain why his stump was aching. For a moment, he thought about his mother and wondered if she was safe at the cottage yet.

"Um… thank you?" he tried.

The beast blinked with something like genuine surprise on her face. Maybe no one had said that to her in a long time.

"You're… You're welcome… Um?" she said, asking for his name.

"Hiccup," he answered.

She rolled her eyes and grumbled under her breath, "Of course, it is."

She turned to leave when Hiccup called after her. "Wait, what should I call you?" he asked.

She paused for a second before answering. " _'Beast'_ will do for now," she said gruffly before shutting the door behind her with a sharp _snap_. He could hear the door click as it locked.

Hiccup stood there, not sure what to do now. This changed things. Instead of picking the lock of a cell in a tower, now he had to figure out how he'd escape a locked castle chamber. This was going to be trickier than he thought.

Never in all his life could he have possibly imagined _this_ would happen to him. He just wanted something more than the same old repetitive days in the village.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," he muttered to the gods.

He listened for a while to make sure that 'Beast', or whatever she called herself, was gone. He looked across from the bed and saw the room's only window. Unlatching the bolt, Hiccup opened the window and looked down, however the sight made him a little dizzy. It was a sheer drop without any ledges or footholds for him to climb down.

Sighing, he stepped back and sat on the bed, trying to think. But before he knew it, he found himself drifting off from exhaustion. Lying back on the bed, he stared up at the high-vaulted ceiling, his mind too sluggish to come up with any plans for now.

Maybe a nap would clear his head…

…

Outside the door, the beast stood there, not sure how to feel. This changed things.

"That was a very nice gesture, my Lady," said a candelabra. The clock beside him nodded in agreement.

"It wasn't nice, it was necessary, Tuffwick," she grumbled as she turned and continued down the corridor. She didn't wait or slow down for the candelabra or the clock to catch up with her. "Have you checked all the windows? Batten down all the doors? The west wing? The northwest tower?"

"Yes, my Lady. Everything is prepared," the clock puffed as he raced to keep up with her.

"Good," she nodded. "Go and keep the stoves running, Cogslegs. I don't care how long. All day and night if you have too. Keep this castle warm."

"Yes, Ma'am," the clock saluted before hopping his way to the kitchens.

…

The Beast didn't stop until she reached her own room, down at the far end of the west wing. She sighed tiredly as she stepped into the dark interior and began pacing anxiously, chewing on her thumb.

 _What was she going to do? There was somebody new in her castle. What was she going to do?_

Then a cart with a teapot wheeled its way into her room, stopping inside the doorframe.

"You know, there are other ways you could've convinced him to stay, Astrid," the teapot scolded her lightly.

The Beast rolled her eyes at the usage of her proper name. Mrs. Potts was the only one she allowed to call her that when they were alone, as a sign of her seniority.

Still, Astrid laughed sarcastically, "Oh, right. Sure, Mrs. Potts. Invite him and his mother to tea so they could enjoy my excellent company?"

The teapot frowned, and the beast scowled back, rolling her eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look! I didn't even want to keep him here, but I listened to you! This way I just… guaranteed that he'd stay, that's all. I'm getting right to the point."

Mrs. Potts sighed, shaking her head, "Sometimes I fear your actions are too direct."

Astrid scowled. "Well, it's the only method that has proven to work, right?" she sighed in defeat, her eyes accidentally catching herself in the shattered vanity mirror and looking away.

Mrs. Potts didn't answer, even though this was technically true. There had been other young men and women who came to the castle over the years for one reason or another, but no matter how the young lady of the castle had tried to approach them, they always ran away and never returned.

Mrs. Potts sighed and tried to smile, to sound encouraging, "My girl, don't give up just yet… I can sense it in my old bones. I know it'll work this time, if you just give him a chance."

But Astrid was quiet, her shoulders slumped, and her body turned away.

"You… How can you think of me as 'your girl'?" she said, despair cracking her voice already. "You have your own child to worry about. Focus on him instead!" she snapped, stiffly pointing one of her claw-like fingers at the door for her to leave.

Mrs. Potts wanted to say more, but the words failed her. Frowning and her eyes downcast, she bowed her head as best as a teapot could. "As you wish, Ma'am."

After the teapot left, Astrid collapsed on her bed, burying her face in her mountain of pillows. Damn it. She didn't want to have a fight with Mrs. Potts, but she hadn't felt like this in so long! Logically, the arrival of this 'Hiccup' should've been a beacon of hope, but for Astrid it only brought her anxiety.

Stupid Mrs. Potts for reminding her time was running out! Like she didn't know that already!

Besides, how could that stupid enchantress ever think that she'd ever fall for someone like him? How could _he_ help _her_? She needed someone who could be here for her, relieve her of her burden. She was tired of staying strong and keeping faith. She was tired of her heart always feeling a new twist of guilt every time she saw her servants' pathetic new forms.

She already knew this was her fault. For years now she had known, but she had no idea how to fix it. How can she undo all the damage she'd already caused? Fall in love? Seriously? That enchantress can't just make her fall in love with anybody.

Besides, love... just wasn't worth it. She learned that a long time ago.


	8. Mala

**B &B - Chapter eight: "Gaston" ***

 **It really, really hurt to not write this song for Dagur. I mean, just how perfect is it for him? But for the sake of continuity…** ***sigh * So, here's my solution: I'll just post two versions of this chapter. One for Mala, and another for Dagur. Once the story is finalized, I'll make a decision and edit accordingly. Sorry, if the errors in continuity detracts you from the story, truly! But I've never felt so torn as a writer about this. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what version you like best!**

Miles away in the village, evening had come, and everything was peaceful as normal. Most of the houses had snuffed out their lights and went early to bed. But, of course, the bar was as lively and full of music and laughter as ever. Mala's horse was tied outside by the front door. Inside, Mala herself slouched in a yak-hide armchair in front of the fireplace. She glared into the fire, her eyebrows only scrunching closer together the longer she stared.

"Picture it, Ruffnut. A rustic cabin, my latest kill roasting on the fire. Adorable children running around us as my love… rubs my tired, aching feet. But what does Hiccup say? 'I will never return your affections, Mala!'"

"You know, there are other guys," Ruffnut tried.

Mala scoffed, "A great hunter doesn't waste his time on rabbits."

Ruffnut sighed, bursting into song.

 _Gosh it disturbs me to see you, Mala_

 _Looking so down in the dumps_

 _Every gal here'd love to be you, Mala_

 _Even when taking your lumps_

 _There's no one in town as admired as you_

 _You're everyone's favorite gal_

 _Everyone's awed and inspired by you_

 _And it's not very hard to see why…_

 _No one's…_

 _Slick as Mala!_

 _No one's quick as Mala!_

 _No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Mala!_

 _For there's no woman in town half as manly_

 _Perfect, a pure paragon!_

 _You can ask any Tom, Dick, or Stanley_

 _And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on_

 _Who plays…_

 _Darts like Mala?_

 _Who breaks hearts like Mala?_

 _Who's much more than the sum of her parts, like Mala?_

 _As a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating_

 _My, what a gal, that Mala!_

 _I needed encouragement_

 _Thank you, Ruffnut_

 _Well, there's no one as easy to bolster as you_

 _Too much?_

 _Yep._

 _No one…_

 _Fights like Mala!_

 _Douses lights like Mala!_

 _In a wrestling match nobody bites like Mala!_

 _When I hunt, I sneak up with my quiver_

 _And beasts of the field say a prayer_

 _First, I carefully aim for the liver_

 _Then I shoot from behind_

 _Is that fair?_

 _I don't care_

 _No one hits like Mala!_

 _Matches wits like Mala!_

 _In a spitting match nobody spits like Mala!_

 _I'm especially good at expectorating_

 _Ten points for Mala!_

 _When I was a lass I ate four dozen eggs_

 _Every morning to help me get large_

 _And now that I'm grown, I eat five dozen eggs_

 _So I'm roughly the size of a barge!_

 _Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey…_

 _Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey…_

 _Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!_

 _Who has brains…_

 _Like Mala!_

 _Entertains…_

 _Like Mala!_

 _Who can make up these endless refrains, like Mala?_

 _I use antlers in all of my decorating!_

 _Say it again!_

 _Who's woman among men?_

 _Who's a super success?_

 _Don't you know? Can't you guess?_

 _Ask her fans and her five hangers-on_

 _There's just one gal in town_

 _Who's got all of it down!_

 _And her name's, M-A-L…_

 _I believe there's another 'L'…_

 _It just occurred to me…_

 _That I'm illiterate and I've never actually had to spell it out loud before!_

 _Mala!_

And on that last note, everyone collapsed into laughter and soon returned to their previous engagements. Mala smiled and looked over at her most loyal companion.

"Oh, dear Ruffnut, you're the best. How is it no man has snatched you up yet?"

Ruffnut scrunched her nose and shrugged. "I'm told I'm clingy, but I really don't get it."

"Uh-huh…" Mala said, pulling her arm out of Ruffnut's grasp.

Just then, the front door burst open and a woman came crashing into the bar. Her hair and clothes were completely disheveled, and she had a wild look in her eyes. She kept sputtering, almost unable to get a word out, "Please, please. Someone, someone. Please, you must help…"

"Is that Valka?" someone voiced, which caught many villagers' attention, including Mala's.

Valka moved from one table to the next, unable to finish her story. "It's – It's Hiccup! She's got – she's got Hiccup. He's locked in a dungeon!"

Gobber stood up from his seat and patted her shoulder. "Easy, easy… Who's got him, Valka?" he asked.

"A beast!" she cried, waving her arms. "A huge, horrid, monstrous beast!"

There was a pause, and then the rest of the villagers started laughing. A few of the drunks even slapped their knees.

Valka shook her head in disbelief. "My son's life is in danger! Why do you laugh? It's not a joke!" She pointed north, out of the window. "Her castle is hidden in the woods. And i-it's already winter there –"

"Winter in June?" Monsieur Jean chuckled.

"Crazy old Valka," snickered the bartender.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Valka shouted. Everyone in the bar went silent, stunned by the woman's desperation. "The beast _is real!_ Don't you understand? Will no one help me?" she asked, frantically searching for a friendly face.

"I'll help, Valka," said Mala from across the room as she stood from her chair.

A few villagers gasped in surprise, But Mala pretended not to hear them.

"What?" Valka turned to her and blinked. "You will?"

"Everybody," Mala gestured to the crowd, "stop making fun of this woman at once. She's scared and looking for her missing son."

"Captain, thank you," Valka sighed with relief.

"Don't thank me, Valka," said Mala with a lucrative smile. "Lead us to the beast!"

Valka nodded, once more feeling composed. "Come," she said, leading the way outside.

Of course, Mala threw a look over her shoulder and shrugged, simply going along with the woman's ravings. Ruffnut only nodded and followed behind.


	9. Dagur

**B &B - Chapter eight: "Gaston"- 2 ***

 **Like I said in the previous chapter, I couldn't help but try out both Mala and Dagur as the part for Gaston. Again, I'm so sorry if this detracts you from the story, but I seriously haven't felt this torn as a writer before! If you have any ideas to weave elements of both stories together, or just prefer one over the other, let me know in a review! I love reading everything you guys have to say! Thank you for all the support so far!**

Miles away in the village, evening had come, and everything was peaceful as normal. Most of the houses had snuffed out their lights and went early to bed. But, of course, the bar was as lively and full of music and laughter as ever. Dagur's horse was tied outside by the front door. Inside, Dagur himself slouched in a yak-hide armchair in front of the fireplace. He glared into the fire, his eyebrows only scrunching closer together the longer he stared.

"Picture it, Snotman. A rustic cabin, my latest kill roasting on the fire. Adorable children running around us as my brother-in-law… rubs my tired, aching feet. But what does Hiccup say? 'I will never return your affections, Heather!'"

"You know, there are other guys," Snotlout tried.

Dagur scoffed, "A great hunter doesn't waste his time on rabbits."

Snotlout sighed, bursting into song.

 _Gosh it disturbs me to see you, Dagur_

 _Looking so down in the dumps_

 _Every guy here'd love to be you, Dagur_

 _Even when taking your lumps_

 _There's no man in town as admired as you_

 _You're everyone's favorite guy_

 _Everyone's awed and inspired by you_

 _And it's not very hard to see why…_

 _No one's…_

 _Slick as Dagur!_

 _No one's quick as Dagur!_

 _No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Dagur!_

 _For there's no man in town half as manly_

 _Perfect, a pure paragon!_

 _You can ask any Tom, Dick, or Stanley_

 _And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on_

 _Who plays…_

 _Darts like Dagur?_

 _Who breaks hearts like Dagur?_

 _Who's much more than the sum of his parts, like Dagur?_

 _As a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating_

 _My, what a guy, that Dagur!_

 _I needed encouragement_

 _Thank you, Snotlout_

 _Well, there's no one as easy to bolster as you_

 _Too much?_

 _Yep._

 _No one…_

 _Fights like Dagur!_

 _Douses lights like Dagur!_

 _In a wrestling match nobody bites like Dagur!_

 _When I hunt, I sneak up with my quiver_

 _And beasts of the field say a prayer_

 _First, I carefully aim for the liver_

 _Then I shoot from behind_

 _Is that fair?_

 _I don't care_

 _No one hits like Dagur!_

 _Matches wits like Dagur!_

 _In a spitting match nobody spits like Dagur!_

 _I'm especially good at expectorating_

 _Ten points for Dagur!_

 _When I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs_

 _Every morning to help me get large_

 _And now that I'm grown, I eat five dozen eggs_

 _So I'm roughly the size of a barge!_

 _Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey…_

 _Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey… Hey…_

 _Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!_

 _Who has brains…_

 _Like Dagur!_

 _Entertains…_

 _Like Dagur!_

 _Who can make up these endless refrains, like Dagur?_

 _I use antlers in all of my decorating!_

 _Say it again!_

 _Who's a man among men?_

 _Who's a super success?_

 _Don't you know? Can't you guess?_

 _Ask his fans and his five hangers-on_

 _There's just one guy in town_

 _Who's got all of it down!_

 _And his name's, D-A-G…_

 _I believe there's another 'G'…_

 _It just occurred to me…_

 _That I'm illiterate and I've never actually had to spell it out loud before!_

 _Dagur!_

And on that last note, everyone collapsed into laughter and soon returned to their previous engagements. Dagur smiled and looked over at his most loyal companion.

"Oh, dear Snothat, you're the best. How is it no woman has snatched you up yet?"

Snotlout scrunched his nose and shrugged. "I'm told I'm clingy, but I really don't get it."

"Uh-huh…" Dagur said, pulling his arm out of Snotlout's grasp.

Just then, the front door burst open and a woman came crashing into the bar. Her hair and clothes were completely disheveled, and she had a wild look in her eyes. She kept sputtering, almost unable to get a word out, "Please, please. Someone, someone. Please, you must help…"

"Is that Valka?" someone voiced, which caught many villagers' attention, including Dagur's.

Valka moved from one table to the next, unable to finish her story. "It's – It's Hiccup! She's got – she's got Hiccup. He's locked in a dungeon!"

Gobber stood up from his seat and patted her shoulder. "Easy, easy… Who's got him, Valka?" he asked.

"A beast!" she cried, waving her arms. "A huge, horrid, monstrous beast!"

There was a pause, and then the rest of the villagers started laughing. A few of the drunks even slapped their knees.

Valka shook her head in disbelief. "My son's life is in danger! Why do you laugh? It's not a joke!" She pointed north, out of the window. "Her castle is hidden in the woods. And i-it's already winter there –"

"Winter in June?" Monsieur Jean chuckled.

"Crazy old Valka," snickered the bartender.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Valka shouted. Everyone in the bar went silent, stunned by the woman's desperation. "The beast _is real!_ Don't you understand? Will no one help me?" she asked, frantically searching for a friendly face.

"I'll help, Valka," said Dagur from across the room as he stood from his chair.

A few villagers gasped in surprise, But Dagur pretended not to hear them.

"What?" Valka turned to him and blinked. "You will?"

"Everybody," Dagur gestured to the crowd, "stop making fun of this woman at once. She's scared and looking for her missing son."

"Captain, thank you," Valka sighed with relief.

"Don't thank me, Valka," said Dagur with a lucrative smile. "Lead us to the beast!"

Valka nodded, once more feeling composed. "Come," she said, leading the way outside.

Of course, Dagur threw a look over his shoulder and shrugged, simply going along with the woman's ravings. Snotlout only nodded and followed behind.


	10. Dinner Invitation

**B &B – Chapter nine: "Dinner Invitation" ***

There was a sudden knock on the door and Hiccup opened his eyes. For a second, he couldn't remember where he was, or why he was in a lavish bed chamber. Then it all came back to him in a wave of fear, frustration and sorrow.

"Forgive the intrusion, Master," said a voice behind the door. "But we wanted to welcome you formally to Hofferson castle and thought you'd be interested in a bit of a tour."

"Tour?" Hiccup asked warily. Then an idea hit him, and he called, "Hold on just a moment!"

He quietly leapt from the bed and sneakily stood behind the doorway. Balancing on one leg, he unfastened his peg leg and clenched it in his hand. "Come in!"

He held his breath as the door opened and waited for the man to step into the room. But no one came.

Then a voice coughed, "Ahem, down here."

Then Hiccup's eyes fell on a gold candelabra that smiled up at him and waved.

Acting on pure instinct, Hiccup whacked very hard on the candelabra's head. The feather duster next to him giggled, "Heh, heh, do it again."

"Wha –? What are you?" Hiccup gasped, hopping backward and leaning against the wardrobe for balance.

The candelabra shook his dizzy head and answered, "I'm Tuffwick! And that's my sister, Ruffette!"

Hiccup nodded. "And… you can talk?"

"Of course, he can talk," muttered a mantel clock, waddling into the room. "That's all he ever does."

Tuffwick rolled his eyes. "And that wet blanket is Cogslegs," he groaned.

"I am a 19th century Boulle Mantel clock, thank you very much," Cogslegs replied stiffly. "And what did I tell you two about staying away from the boy?" he scolded.

"Uh, to not listen to you?" Ruffette retorted.

Cogslegs groaned, "I swear you two are like children! I tell you once, I tell you a thousand times!"

As the clock went on in a lecture, the wardrobe Hiccup was leaning against suddenly lurched under his grip, opening its doors and yawning, "Oh, what time is it?"

Hiccup jumped back in fear, nearly tripping over himself as he sat back on the bed. "B-But how?! This… This is impossible!"

The wardrobe chuckled heartedly, "You must be the new boy everyone is talking about! I'm Madame Malarobe." She leaned forward and studied him closely. "Pretty eyes! Proud face! Yes! A perfect canvas! Yes! I will find you something worthy of a prince!"

Hiccup leaned away from her, shaking his head. "That's quite alright," he insisted. "I'm not a prince. I'm just Hiccup. No need to call me 'master' or 'sir' anything," he said, turning to all of the servants.

Then Tuffwick cleared his throat. "Well then, are you ready, Hiccup?" he asked.

Hiccup stared at him. "For… For what?" he asked.

"Well, since you're going to be here a while, we thought you'd like to see some of the castle," said Ruffette.

Cogslegs looked as though he was about to pop a gear, or two. "Out of the question! He's supposed to stay in here!"

Then Tuffwick grinned, wiggling an eyebrow. "But as the historian, I thought you would know everything there is to know about the castle, right?"

Cogslegs blinked a few times and cleared his throat, doing his best not to blush. "Well, I don't know about _everything_ … but I suppose one quick little tour couldn't hurt."

…

It wasn't long before the three had led Hiccup out of his room and in a slow circle around the castle. Hiccup followed behind Cogslegs, listening to the mantel clock drone on and on about the castle's architecture, but he was only partially listening.

Although Hiccup had to admit the castle was pretty amazing and the thought did occur to him to try and run away from the servants, he couldn't help but feel as though the castle and its looming walls were watching him from the dark shadows. Hiccup felt more homesick than ever.

Just as they came back to the main staircase, Hiccup looked down a dark hallway to the right.

"What's down there?" he asked.

"Hmm? What?" Cogslegs asked. Upon seeing where Hiccup was pointing, his face paled. "Oh, nothing! Absolutely nothing interesting at all in the west wing!" he stammered.

Tuffwick nodded nervously with him. "Dusty storage space! Very boring!"

"Trust me, it's not even worth visiting! Ever!" Ruffette added for good measure.

Although their demeanor was obviously suspicious, Hiccup said nothing, and cast glances over his shoulder as the three hurriedly led him away.

The tour quickly ended after that and the three soon returned Hiccup to his room. They mentioned something about possibly attending dinner, but Hiccup wasn't listening anymore.

Taking a tour didn't help him feel more comfortable at all. He was determined that, no matter how beautiful the castle was, it was still a prison and he was determined to escape. And, glancing at his four-poster bed, he finally had an idea.

…

That evening, after the sun had set and Astrid had made her rounds about the castle, she headed to the dining hall and was surprised to see, not one, but two place settings on the long table.

"TUFFWICK!" she bellowed, "COGSLEGS!"

Every servant in the kitchen stiffened. Tuffwick gulped, "Stay calm. Let me do the talking."

The Beast burst through the kitchen doors, glaring. "You're making him dinner?" she said very evenly.

"W-We thought you might appreciate the company," Tuffwick said, his voice quivering ever so slightly.

Cogslegs pushed Tuffwick aside and butted in, "My Lady, I just want to assure you that I had _no_ part in this _hopeless_ plan. Preparing a dinner, designing a suit for him, giving him a tour of the castle!"

Astrid's eye twitched. "You gave him a tour?!"

Cogslegs quickly realized his mistake and pointed at Tuffwick. "B-But, the tour was his idea!"

Tuffwick nodded, accepting whatever punishment would befall him. "This is true, my Lady. But! Correct me if I'm wrong. But, if this boy is the one who can break the spell, then maybe you could start by using dinner tonight to charm him?"

Astrid snorted and threw her arm. "That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard! Charm the prisoner!"

"But you must try, my Lady," said Ruffette, "With every passing day we become less human."

Astrid scowled, "He's the son of a common thief. What kind of person do you think that makes him?"

Mrs. Potts gave her a stern eye. "You know you can't judge people by who their parents are, now can you?"

Astrid opened her mouth to protest, but then growled indignantly.

…

Minutes later, she was pounding on Hiccup's door, the same way she would've called for her troops. "You will join me for dinner," she commanded. "That's not a request."

"Gently, dear," said Mrs. Potts, "He's not a soldier, remember. The boy lost his mother and his freedom in one day."

Cogslegs nodded timidly. "Yes, the poor boy is probably in there, scared to death."

…

Little did they know that Hiccup was far from scared. He had ripped down the curtains from the four-poster bed and stripped the mattress of all its sheets. He'd tied them all together and was busy testing to see if his make-shift escape rope was long enough, dangling it out his window.

"Just a minute!" he called when he heard the knock from across the room. He quickly moved to hoist it back inside and stash it under the bed. He stepped toward the door, hoping that he could manage to keep her out of the room, or at least from seeing the torn down bed.

Outside the door, Tuffwick smiled. "You see? There he is. Now, remember, be _gentle."_

" _Kind,"_ said Mrs. Potts.

" _Charming,"_ said Ruffette.

" _Sweet,"_ added Cogslegs.

"And when he opens the door, give him a dashing, debonair smile," said Tuffwick.

Far from smiling, Astrid kept her scowl and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Or… maybe not," Tuffwick suggested.

But Astrid did close her eyes and take a moment to breathe. She knocked softer on the door this time and asked again, trying to sound peppy, "W-Will you join me for dinner?" Her insides recoiled at the sound of her voice. She hated the way it felt coming out of her mouth, so bubbly and fake.

On the other side of the door, Hiccup was very confused. "Wait. You've taken me as your prisoner and now you want to have dinner with me? Are you insane?"

Astrid's tail coiled behind her in malice, spikes flaring. Screw this flattery talk! She banged on the door again. "I told you to join me for dinner!" she roared.

"And I told you, no!" Hiccup shouted back.

With all the noise, Madame Malarobe woke up from her nap in the corner of the room. "Oh, what's happening? What time is it?" she yawned.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I'd starve before I ever ate with you."

Astrid's lip curdled in a snarl. She bellowed through the door, "Fine! Be my guest! Go ahead and starve!" Then she roared at the servants, "If he doesn't eat with me then he doesn't eat at all!"

She stormed off, stomping the whole way back to her chamber. The servants knew better than to follow her.

Tuffwick sighed, "Well, I suppose that could've gone worse."

Cogslegs rolled his eyes and pinched his nose, sighing, too tired to argue with his colleague.

…

The Beast stomped all the way to the west wing, only momentarily stopping to take out her anger on an inanimate suit of armor. She threw it to the floor and kicked its chest plate in. She slammed her bedroom door behind her, enveloping herself in the dark.

Gods! How embarrassing! How infuriating! She wanted to rip something apart!

Normally at times like this, she'd have taken her axe and throw it at the multiple targets set up around her room until she worked the rage out of her system. But with only one thumb and two fingers as claws on each hand, she couldn't pick up an axe anymore.

It had become impossible to do a lot of things. She couldn't write legibly or eat without her fork shaking before it reached her mouth. She couldn't even open the stupid cell door!

The reminder made her tail thrash against the floor, a few spines unintentionally flew out from the whiplash and embedded themselves in the wall.

And these damn spines! All it took was just one sharp swing and she could accidentally pepper a wall with them! She had damaged the castle dozens of times over the years because of it. Once she almost skewered Chip, but he got away with just a chip on his rim. If it had been any closer…

Astrid stopped and balled her fists at her sides, a shudder running through her. She shakily breathed through her nose, trying to settle her frantically beating heart.

No. That can't happen again. It won't. She swore to herself that it wouldn't.

Instead, Astrid solemnly paced back and forth, not sure what else to do with her emotions fighting to be expressed. Finally, she moved across the room and grabbed the hand mirror the enchantress had left her.

"Show me the boy," she growled at the mirror.

The glass swirled and out of the fog emerged Hiccup's face. He had apparently slumped against the back of the locked door and slid to the floor. He curled into himself, seemingly to comfort his aching stump. His fingers stroked the metal as he rested his chin on his knee, deep in thought.

Just as she expected. _Of course, he'd hate me. He has every right to do so. But… what other choice do I have?_

Astrid sighed, placing the mirror back on her dresser. She looked over at the long pair of moth-eaten curtains and wondered for a moment if she would only feel worse by checking. But, biting back her fear, she drew the curtain open.

Outside, in the middle of the balcony sat a table, and on that table was the enchanted rose, floating in a crystal topper. Every time Astrid came out here, she was afraid to even breathe near it. Still, she eased closer and peered through the glass. She watched as one petal dipped away from the bud until it came loose and fluttered down to join the others.

…

There was a slight tremor felt throughout the castle. Even down at the fireplace in the foyer, where Tuffwick was keeping the fire going.

"Another petal fell," he noted.

"Tuffwick," groaned Ruffette, "I grew three more feathers and I just plucked yesterday!"

"I know, Sis, I'm getting more metallic every day," he said, trying to ease his creaking joints under the heat of his candle flame.

Cogslegs seemed to be twitching. "Oh, no. It's happening again," he said just before ringing the hour like a real clock. "Pardon me."

"Everyone, calm yourselves," said Mrs. Potts, confidently. "We still have time!"

"Mama," Chip hesitated to ask, cuddling close to her, "Am I ever going to be a boy again?"

Mrs. Potts snuggled against her son the only way she could. "Oh yes, Chip. You'll have your days in the sun again, I promise. You just leave it to me."


	11. Be Our Guest

**B &B – Chapter ten: "Be Our Guest" ***

Hiccup threw his escape rope out the window again. This time for sure he was going to climb down.

Then there was a knocking at the door again. "I told you to go away!" he called.

But a different voice replied, "Don't worry, dear. It's only Mrs. Potts."

Hiccup sensed he didn't have enough time to bring the rope back up, so he did the best he could, shoving it to one side and stood in front of where he anchored it to the bedpost.

The door opened and in came a cart pushing itself, holding a teapot and a teacup. The teapot gasped upon seeing him. "Aren't you a vision!" she said with a very kind voice. "How lovely to make your acquaintance."

Her painted eyes fell on the length of bedsheets poorly hidden behind his legs. Hiccup caught the angle of her gaze and held his breath. For a moment, Hiccup thought his plan was done for. But the teapot pursed her painted lips and said, "It's a very long journey. At least, let me fix you up before you go."

She bent over and poured some warm-looking tea in the teacup next to her. "I have found that most troubles seem less troubling after a bracing cup of tea," she said with a smile.

Before Hiccup could say he didn't drink tea, the teacup suddenly lurched forward and jumped off the cart, somehow managing to not spill a drop.

"Slowly now, Chip," the teapot scolded the teacup that slid toward Hiccup.

Taken by surprise, Hiccup took a half step backward and froze as the teacup came to a stop at his foot. After a moment's pause, he hesitantly took the cup and its saucer in his hands and looked for a face. Sure enough, another painted face emerged over the china, eyes shining like a sweet and mischievous little boy.

"Wanna see me do a trick?" Chip asked. Before Hiccup could answer, the teacup puffed his rosy cheeks and blew a large bubble of tea until it popped from his cap. It was really a silly child's trick, but it somehow managed to make Hiccup break into a smile.

"Chip," Mrs. Potts scolded, but her son giggled anyway.

"That was a very brave thing you did for your mother, dearie," Mrs. Potts said to Hiccup.

Madame Malarobe suddenly woke up again. "Yes, we all think so," she yawned.

"I'm worried about her," Hiccup admitted. "She's never been on her own."

Mrs. Potts's painted lips curved into a sweet smile. "Cheer up, my poppet. Things will turn out in the end. You'll feel a lot better after dinner."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "I thought she said, 'If he doesn't eat with me, then he doesn't eat at all.'"

Mrs. Potts shrugged. "People say a lot of things in anger. It is our choice whether or not to listen." Her cart started for the door. She turned and asked, "You coming, poppet?"

Hiccup looked at the wardrobe. "Go on," she said, stifling another yawn.

…

"They are coming!" Tuffwick shouted, bursting through the doors to the kitchens. "Final checks, everyone! _Tout de suite!"_

"Oh no, you don't!" Cogslegs shouted, chasing after the candelabra. "If the Lady finds out you violated her orders and fed him, she will blame me!"

Tuffwick pulled himself on the table, continuing checking the dishwashing. "Don't worry. I will make sure of it," he said. "I'm serious, Cogslegs! Didn't you see the way he stood up to her? I'm telling you! This boy is the one!"

Cogslegs followed him along the kitchen floor. "And you somehow know this because…?"

Tuffwick scoffed at his colleague's pessimism. "I may not be the brightest candelabra, but even I know that they must fall in love if we are to be human again, and how can they fall in love if he stays in his room?" he argued, momentarily handing back a half-washed plate to the coat stand. "Hey, Bucket, Mulch, you missed a spot."

Finally, Cogslegs cut off Tuffwick's path and whispered very faintly, "You know he'll never love her."

Tuffwick rolled his eyes, moving around him. "A broken clock is right two times a day, _mon ami_ , but this is not one of those times." Tuffwick sparked his candles with a _snap_ toward the silverware. "Stand up straight!" he cried. "It is time to sparkle!"

He leapt across the table and landed next to the soup pot cooking on the stove. He lifted the ladle and smacked his lips. "Well, I have no taste buds, but I can tell this is exquisite!" he cried with excitement.

The stove, Spitelout, snapped, "Oi! Get off me while I work!"

Tuffwick ignored the stove. "Pepper, get cracking! Salt, shake a leg!"

"Not so loud!" Cogslegs pleaded. "Keep it down!"

Tuffwick nodded. "Of course, of course! But what is dinner without a little music?"

"Music?!" Cogslegs cried.

"Maestro Throk Cadenza, are you ready?" asked Tuffwick to the harpsicord that limped into the dining room.

The Maestro chuckled, "It has been so long since I have performed. I can barely even remember how." He opened his lid and started to play a flawless stanza when he hit a wrong note, the sound making him wince in pain. Tuffwick and Cogslegs sympathetically winced as well. The Maestro sighed, "Another cavity."

Tuffwick strode forward toward the harpsicord. "Maestro, your wife is upstairs finding it harder and harder to stay awake. She's counting on you to help us break this curse."

The harpsicord bowed his head. "Then I shall play through the dental pain," he promised, solemnly.

"Maestro, just play quietly, please," said Cogslegs.

"Oh, quietly. _Sotto voce_ , of course," the harpsicord laughed drily. "Are there any other tasteless demands you wish to make upon my artistry?"

Cogslegs shook his head. "No, that's it."

…

Mrs. Potts led Hiccup in the dining room, where a long empty table waited for him. The coat stand doused the lights and dimmed the room. Ruffette floated up by the window and shone a sliver tray to shine a spotlight on the table where Tuffwick stood.

" _Ma che're_ monsieur. It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now we invite you to relax…" As he said it, a chair slid behind Hiccup, making him fall into the seat. "Let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents…" A long table cloth rolled across the table and dishes, glasses, and silverware gracefully floated into perfect setting. "…Your dinner."

Hiccup could only watch with bewilderment and amazement as the candelabra began to sing.

 _Be… Our…_

 _Guest! Be our guest_

 _Put our service to the test_

 _Tie your napkin 'round your neck, che'rie_

 _And we'll provide the rest_

 _Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres_

 _Why we only live to serve!_

 _Try the grey stuff, it's delicious_

 _Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!_

 _They can sing, they can dance_

 _After all, tonight, this is France_

 _And a dinner here is never second best_

 _Go on unfold your menu_

 _Take a glance and then you'll_

 _Be our guest, oui, our guest_

 _Be our guest!_

 _Beef ragout!_

 _Cheese soufflé!_

 _Pie and pudding en flambé!_

 _We'll prepare and serve with flair_

 _A culinary cabaret_

 _You're alone and you're scared_

 _But the banquet's all prepared_

 _No one's gloomy or complaining_

 _While the flatware's entertaining_

 _We tell jokes, I do tricks_

 _With my fellow candlesticks_

 _And it's all in perfect taste that you can bet_

 _Come on and lift your glass_

 _You've won your own free pass_

 _To be our guest_

 _If you're stressed,_

 _It's fine dining we suggest_

 _Be our guest!_

 _Be our guest!_

 _Be our guest!_

 _Life is so unnerving_

 _For a servant who's not serving_

 _He's not whole without a soul to wait upon_

 _Ah, those good old days when we were useful_

 _Suddenly those good old days are gone…_

 _Too long we've been rusting_

 _Needing so much more than dusting_

 _Needing exercise, a chance to use our skills!_

 _Most days we just lay around the castle_

 _Flabby, fat and lazy_

 _You walked in and whoops-a-daisy!_

 _It's a guest! It's a guest!_

 _Sakes alive, well, I'll be blessed!_

 _Wine's been poured and thank the Lord_

 _I've had the napkins freshly pressed_

 _With dessert, he'll want tea_

 _And my dear, that's fine with me_

 _While the cups do their soft-shoeing_

 _I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing…_

 _I'll get warm, piping hot_

 _Heaven's sakes, is that a spot?_

 _Clean it up, we want the company impressed!_

 _We've got a lot to do,_

 _Is it one lump or two?_

 _For you, our guest_

 _He's our guest!_

 _He's our guest!_

 _He's our guest!_

 _Be our guest, be our guest_

 _Our command is your request_

 _It's been years since we've had anybody here_

 _And we're obsessed_

 _with your meal_

 _with your ease_

 _Yes, indeed,_

 _We aim to please_

 _While the candlelight's still glowing_

 _Let us help you, we'll keep going…_

 _Course by…_

 _Course!_

 _One by one_

' _til you shout,_

" _Enough, I'm done!"_

 _Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest!_

 _Tonight, you'll prop your feet up_

 _But for now, let's eat up_

 _Be our guest!_

 _Be our guest!_

 _Be our guest!_

 _Please be our… guest!_

"Pudding?" Tuffwick asked, holding out a tray. Hiccup laughed.

…

Shortly after Hiccup had eaten his fill, the servants cleaned out the dining room until it was spotless. Mrs. Potts was escorting him to the grand staircase, riding on her cart. A question still nagged at the back of his mind.

"I just don't get it," said Hiccup. "Why are you all being so nice to me? Surely, you're just as trapped here as I am. Don't you ever want to escape?"

"The Lady is not as terrible as she appears," Mrs. Potts warned him.

Internally, Mrs. Potts was still mulling over her earlier conversation with the Lady.

" _You… How can you think of me as 'your girl'? You have your own child to worry about. Focus on him instead!"_

Mrs. Potts sighed. She had known that girl ever since she was a tiny child. She had watched her grow up into the beautiful and capable young lady she was, but that girl was still very torn up inside, in many ways that Mrs. Potts knew she couldn't mend. All she could do was watch.

But perhaps… this boy could reach her.

"Deep down inside, there's a sweet princess…" she corrected herself, "…of a lady just waiting to be set free."

They approached the main staircase and Hiccup couldn't help but look down the dark corridor he was warned about. "The others mentioned something about the west wing."

"Never you mind about that," Mrs. Potts said sternly. "Off to bed with you, poppet."

Hiccup gave a friendly grin at the teapot, stepping up the grand staircase. "Goodnight."

"Nighty-night."

Hiccup curiously looked down the corridor once more.

"Straight to bed," Mrs. Potts warned him once more before turning toward the kitchens.

Hiccup waited until she was gone… then snuck off, down the west wing corridor.


	12. The West Wing

**B &B - Chapter eleven: "The West Wing" ***

 **Since the holidays are going to keep me fairly busy, it may be a while before I release the next chapters. But I really wanted to post this one because it's one of my favorites. Thank you all so much for your support! It means a lot! Happy holidays, everyone!**

Normally, Hiccup wasn't one to sneak around other people's homes and rummage through their things, but this wasn't a normal case. And Hiccup wondered if perhaps the west wing could provide answers about this strange place. Or maybe a way out.

So far, he saw nothing different about this wing than the east wing. Everything was nearly identical. The same torches lit the stone walls and hanging tapestries. Then he came to the last door at the end of the hall.

Inside was a large room, just as fancy as his own, but showing signs of neglect and abuse. Shields had been hung up around the room at every angle possible, looking like they'd been used for target practice. An axe stuck out of one, but it looked like it hadn't been touched in years.

A four-poster bed, similar to Hiccup's, sat at the head of the room, although unlike his, there were evident slash marks all over the posts – made from a sword or claws if he had to guess.

Although dark and the furniture well worn, Hiccup couldn't find anything unusual or helpful in this room. He had taken a few steps to leave.

Then he saw it. A painted portrait hanging on one wall. Unlike the one in his cottage, this one was much larger, the figures almost life-size. Although the canvas had been torn to ribbons, Hiccup could just make out three people. A tall and broad-shouldered man. A slender and elegant woman. But the third, which stood between them, had been torn the most. All he could make out was a wisp of blonde hair and an intense cold blue eye.

Then a cold breeze suddenly blew across his face, even whipping about his clothes, pulling Hiccup's attention away. He shivered and looked around, realizing there was a large set of moth-eaten curtains across the room, pulled slightly apart. The cold breeze was coming through the fluttering gap to the outside.

Drawn to the promise of light, Hiccup drew back the curtain and stared out at an open balcony. In the middle of this balcony was a lone table, and on the table sat a beautifully carved crystal topper.

At first, Hiccup thought it was empty, but upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't. Somehow, floating inside was a single solitary rose. But Hiccup had to admit this rose gave him a tingly feeling just looking at it. Its petals were almost too red, and its thorns almost too healthy. Yet, strangely, a small pile of greying petals had gathered underneath it.

Almost like he was hypnotized, Hiccup's hand gravitated toward the flower. His fingers caressed the topper and his breath fogged the glass slightly as he stared.

He was mere inches away from it when a loud crash woke him from his spell, making his heart leap in his chest.

"What are you doing in here?!" The Beast yelled. Her eyes immediately snapped on the rose. "What did you do to it?!"

Hiccup quickly backed away as she lunged between him and the table. "Nothing! I swear!"

"Don't you realize what you could've done?! You could've damned us all!" she shouted in his face.

"I – I'm sorry –"

She shook her head, her teeth gnashing. "Just get out of here! You're more trouble than you're worth!" she roared, "GO!"

Hiccup turned and ran out of the room, not looking back. He hurried down the grand staircase, his heart pounding in his ears. What had been fear a moment ago turned into a dark, bitter hatred that burned all throughout his body.

 _She wants me out of here? Gladly!_

Grabbing his cloak off the coat stand in the foyer, he dodged around the servants trying to stop him.

"No, wait! Sir, it isn't safe –!"

But Hiccup wasn't listening. He had had enough of this place. He didn't want to be here a minute longer! He hated the Beast. He hated this castle. And he hated feeling like a prisoner!

"Toothless, let's go!" he snapped, hoisting himself into the saddle. He snapped the reins and they took off.

…

They were just coasting over the treeline, when Hiccup thought he heard a soft whistling sound. Then all of a sudden, an arrow struck Toothless in the leg.

"Oh no!" Hiccup gasped.

Hiccup had heard rumors that Dragon Hunters somehow managed to create a mixture of Dragon Root to lace their arrowheads with the poison. And its effects were felt immediately as Toothless lurched and thrashed, his senses completely overwhelmed. Thrown into a vortex of vertigo, Toothless was effectively blind and had no sense of direction, including the ground.

Hiccup used all his strength to pull Toothless right-way up. "Hold on!" he cried.

They crash-landed through foliage and skidded to a halt, leaving a mound of dirt and snow in their wake. Hiccup was thrown off of Toothless and landed flat on his back, knocking the wind out of him. But he forced himself up and hurried back to his dragon. He was quick to pull the arrow out, but it had done its job. Now, Toothless was going to be sedated for at least a good while. This was bad.

The angry voices grew louder, and Hiccup knew he didn't have time to hide. He grabbed a nearby branch that had broken during their fall and clenched it in his hands. Nobody was taking away his best friend. Nobody!

Then the first hunter appeared out of the foliage and took a swing at Toothless with his mace. Hiccup surprised the man by swinging wildly with his branch and screaming. He hit the man across the face, knocking him out. Hiccup managed to hit one hunter from approaching Toothless. But in the next swing, Hiccup couldn't pull the branch back. It was caught in the meaty hand of another hunter and the man wouldn't let go, chuckling as the scrawny boy struggled. Finally, Hiccup had no choice but to let it go, surrendering his only weapon.

Hiccup was scared. More scared than he'd ever felt in his entire life. It reminded him of the only other time in his life that he felt this kind of terror. In the scariest of moments, flashes of past memories came to him: He was surrounded by fire, the heat unbearable. He was in terrible pain; his tiny frame being crushed by a fallen beam. He could barely breathe through the thick smoke. He could barely get enough air to properly cry out for his parents. Where were they? He couldn't see them. He needed them now. He was choking. He was going to die.

Then Hiccup was struck across the face, and kneed in the stomach, and he flashed back to the present. He did his best to fight back but he was easily over powered. These hunters didn't want to take any prisoners. They were out for blood.

The lead hunter tackled Hiccup to the ground. The boy tried to crawl away, but the man chuckled and managed to close a meaty hand around his throat.

Spots started to dance in Hiccup's eyes. His windpipe was crushed. He couldn't scream. He couldn't breathe. He was choking. He was going to die.

Suddenly, the hunter's grip seemingly vanished, suddenly plucked from the sky by huge talons. Hiccup heaved forward on all fours, gasping deep gulping breathes, his head still feeling like it was spinning.

Hiccup looked up in surprise. The Beast landed in front of him with a huge, heavy thud that vibrated through the ground and shook snow off the nearby trees. She lowered her head and raised her wings, hissing ferociously at the circling hunters. Her tail coiled around him like a shield, poised and ready to strike at any moment.

Her presence was like a Valkyrie had flown down from Valhalla. She commanded the very air around them. If Hiccup had been afraid of her before, nothing could compare to how terrifying she seemed now. Even the hunters took steps to back away from her.

Still, one of the hunters recovered from his stupor and leapt at her with his axe, but she easily swatted him out of the air with her tail. Another tried leaping on her back, swinging his mace down on her wing and she roared, attempting to shake him off. A few teamed up to lasso her legs while she tried kicking them away. She spun, whipping the men away with her tail again.

A small group attempted to concentrate their arrows at her, but she was well aware of their strategy. She nimbly dodged their fire and counterattacked with her own deadly volley of tail spines.

Hiccup could do nothing but cower where he was as he watched the awesome battle in front of him.

Finally, losing their nerve, the rest of the hunters took off, retreating back into the woods. The Beast pounded the ground and gave a resounding roar that echoed into the distance. Steam curled from her open maw as she panted heavily in the cold air, glaring after them. Then the forest around them became quiet and still once more. Hiccup's heart gradually began to slow as well from its panic attack.

Toothless warbled and moaned as he slowly stood up and shook off the remaining effects of the dragon root arrow.

Hiccup ran to his side and patted the dragon's head in relief. "I'm so glad you're okay, bud."

Then Hiccup noticed that the Beast had winced and was trembling. Large drops of scarlet blood splattered on the white snow. Then her trembling got worse.

She swayed for a moment, and then slumped to the ground on her side, her legs unable to support herself any more. The bleeding flesh wounds torn across her scales were deep, but these were not what concerned Hiccup most.

One of the bones in her wing was bent at the wrong angle. With a tightly held breath, she tried to pick it off the ground, but just using a little effort made her visibly wince and drop it once more. It was clearly broken.

Hiccup opened his mouth but then shook his head. It didn't matter. He was leaving. He could see the rest of the path that would take him back home.

Hiccup's hands were latched onto Toothless's saddle, ready to lift himself into the seat, and ride far away from here. But…

He looked back at the Beast lying on the ground. She was trying to stand up once more, but the pain proved too much, and she fell back down in the snow. Frustrated, she slammed her tail against the ground the same way a fist would. She closed her eyes. Her heaving chest was slowing down in its rhythmic breathing, her strength leaving her. She was clearly not going to make it.

A familiar voice spoke from the back of Hiccup's memory, "A downed dragon is a dead dragon…"

Hiccup's hands tightened once more on Toothless's saddle, then he let out a long and drawn out sigh. Toothless whimpered in confusion, wondering why his friend stopped. But Hiccup knew what he had to do.

…

Astrid couldn't feel most of her body. She could barely move her limbs. All she could feel was burning pain shooting up her arm. She wished it would stop. As it was, if she didn't move, it would gradually recede to a dull ache.

Her vision blurred as she watched the snow gently fall from the sky through narrow eyelashes. The snow beneath her felt like a blanket molding to her body. She was so tired… so tired…

Maybe… it would be better this way… Maybe it would be a relief… to finally just… let go and...

She felt a shift in the snow and her eyes fluttered open. Hiccup's face seemed to swim above her, just out of reach. She tried lifting her head and opening her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Easy, there. Don't go fainting on me now," he said softly, kneeling beside her head.

He looked around and saw his branch from earlier laying on the ground. It had been useless to him as a weapon but maybe… it would be straight enough…

She silently watched him as he broke the branch in half and rummaged in one of his saddlebags for twine. He knelt beside her again in the snow, placing the two branches on either side of her bone.

She looked up at him and he met her gaze. Her electric blue eyes were still alive and sparking, although growing dim all the same.

He bit his lip and nodded. "You have to help me now, okay? You have to stay still…"


	13. Are you coming? Mala

**B &B - Chapter eleven: "Are you coming?" ***

 **Another Dagur/Mala chapter, sorry! Remember, please post which one you like better as Gaston. I know this chapter is short, but here you go!**

"No! I'm sure this is the way," Valka said, guiding the wagon down the path. "Do you see the snow? That means we're getting very close to the castle!"

Mala rolled her eyes. "Look, enough is enough. We have to turn back."

"Stop!" Valka shouted, pointing at the grove up ahead. "That's it! This is where I crashed! I'm sure of it!" She leapt out of the wagon and hobbled her way ahead of them.

But when they all made it into the clearing, Valka's face gapped with shock. "The trees… They were downed by lightning at the time… But now it's… assumed an upright position through some sort of… magic or other…"

Ruffnut leaned over Mala's shoulder and murmured, "Are you sure you want to marry into this family?" Mala merely rolled her eyes.

Valka paced around the grove, trying to get her bearings.

"So, that means that the castle is that… No, wait… It would be this… No, that's not right… I got it! We fell this way, so the castle is that way! Definitely that way!"

"I'm done playing this game of yours!" Mala seethed, jumping off the wagon, squaring off with the woman. "Where is Hiccup?" she demanded.

"I told you!" Valka explained, "The beast took him and he –!"

"There are no such things as beasts!" Mala snapped. "Or talking teacups! Or magic! But there are wolves, frostbite, and starvation!"

Ruffnut stood from the wagon, her voice even and calm. "Deep breaths, Mala. Deep breathes."

Collecting herself, Mala continued in a slightly calmer tone, "So, why don't we just turn around and go back to the village? I'm sure Hiccup is home, cooking up a lovely dinner."

Valka shook her head. "If you think I've made this all up then why did you offer to help?"

"Because I want to marry your son!" Mala blurted, her eye twitching. She inhaled through her nose. "Now, let's go home."

"Hiccup is not at home!" Valka argued. "He is with the –!"

Mala whirred around and gripped Valka's chest plate. "If you say 'beast' one more time, I will feed you to the wolves!" she screamed in her face.

Ruffnut quickly leapt off the wagon and pulled them apart. "Mala! Stop it! Breathe!" she instructed, "Think happy thoughts. Go back to the war. Blood. Explosions. Countless widows."

"Widows…" Mala sighed contently.

Ruffnut smiled. "Yes, yes! That's it."

Valka just stared at the episode.

Mala turned back to Valka with an amicable smile that would've convinced anyone else had they not witnessed the rage burning in her eyes just a moment ago. "Valka!" she said, as though laughing off her tantrum. "Please, forgive me." Valka flinched as Mala started dusting her off. "That's no way to talk to my future mother-in-law, now is it?"

"Future mother-in-law?" Valka raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Mala smiled, broader.

Valka narrowed her eyes sternly. "I may not remember as much as I should, but I know Hiccup made his position quite clear," she stated as though instructing a child. "You will never marry my son."

Mala's eye twitched. Without warning, she punched Valka in the jaw, easily knocking her out cold. Mala glared down at the woman fallen to the ground.

Ruffnut winced sympathetically and sighed, "I saw that coming."

…

"If Valka won't give me her blessing, then she is in my way," Mala growled under her breath, synching the ropes tight. She stood back to look at her handy word. "Once the wolves are finished with her, Hiccup will have no one to take care of him but me."

"For the sake of exhausting all of our options, do we _maybe_ want to consider a slightly less… gruesome alternative?" Ruffnut asked.

"Are you coming?" Mala growled.

Ruffnut grimaced, silently stepping back in the wagon.

Mala snapped the reins and rode on without a second thought. Ruffnut, however, looked back and watched the unconscious woman until she disappeared from sight.


	14. Are you coming? Dagur

**B &B - Chapter eleven: "Are you coming?" ***

 **Another Dagur/Mala chapter, sorry! Remember, please post which one you like better as Gaston. And please, let's keep things civil. I know this chapter is short, but here you go!**

"No! I'm sure this is the way," Valka said, guiding the wagon down the path. "Do you see the snow? That means we're getting very close to the castle!"

Dagur rolled his eyes. "Look, enough is enough. We have to turn back."

"Stop!" Valka shouted, pointing at the grove up ahead. "That's it! This is where I crashed! I'm sure of it!" She leapt out of the wagon and hobbled her way ahead of them.

But when they all made it into the clearing, Valka's face gapped with shock. "The trees… They were downed by lightning at the time… But now it's… assumed an upright position through some sort of… magic or other…"

Snotlout leaned over Dagur's shoulder and murmured, "Are you sure you want to marry into this family?" Dagur merely rolled his eyes.

Valka paced around the grove, trying to get her bearings.

"So, that means that the castle is that… No, wait… It would be this… No, that's not right… I got it! We fell this way, so the castle is that way! Definitely that way!"

"I'm done playing this game of yours!" Dagur seethed, jumping off the wagon, squaring off with the woman. "Where is Hiccup?" he demanded.

"I told you!" Valka explained, "The beast took him and he –!"

"There are no such things as beasts!" Dagur snapped. "Or talking teacups! Or magic! But there are wolves, frostbite, and starvation!"

Snotlout stood from the wagon, his voice even and calm. "Deep breaths, Dagur. Deep breathes."

Collecting himself, Dagur continued in a slightly calmer tone, "So, why don't we just turn around and go back to the village? I'm sure Hiccup is home, cooking up a lovely dinner."

Valka shook her head. "If you think I've made this all up then why did you offer to help?"

"Because I want to marry your son!" Dagur blurted, his eye twitching. He inhaled through his nose. "Now, let's go home."

"Hiccup is not at home!" Valka argued. "He is with the –!"

Dagur whirred around and gripped Valka's chest plate. "If you say 'beast' one more time, I will feed you to the wolves!" he screamed in her face.

Snotlout quickly leapt off the wagon and pulled them apart. "Dagur! Stop it! Breathe!" he instructed, "Think happy thoughts. Go back to the war. Blood. Explosions. Countless widows."

"Widows…" Dagur sighed contently.

Snotlout smiled. "Yes, yes! That's it."

Valka just stared at the episode.

Dagur turned back to Valka with an amicable smile that would've convinced anyone else had they not witnessed the rage burning in his eyes just a moment ago. "Valka!" he said, as though laughing off his tantrum. "Please, forgive me." Valka flinched as Dagur started dusting her off. "That's no way to talk to my future mother-in-law, now is it?"

"Future mother-in-law?" Valka raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Dagur smiled, broader.

Valka narrowed her eyes sternly. "I may not remember as much as I should, but I know Hiccup made his position quite clear," she stated as though instructing a child. "You will never marry my son."

Dagur's eye twitched. Without warning, he punched Valka in the jaw, easily knocking her out cold. Dagur glared down at the woman fallen to the ground.

Snotlout winced sympathetically and sighed, "I saw that coming."

…

"If Valka won't give me her blessing, then she is in my way," Dagur growled under his breath, synching the ropes tight. He stood back to look at his handy word. "Once the wolves are finished with her, Hiccup will have no one to take care of him but me."

"For the sake of exhausting all of our options, do we _maybe_ want to consider a slightly less… gruesome alternative?" Snotlout asked.

"Are you coming?" Dagur growled.

Snotlout grimaced, silently stepping back in the wagon.

Dagur snapped the reins and rode on without a second thought. Snotlout, however, looked back and watched the unconscious woman until she disappeared from sight.


	15. Days in the Sun

**B &B – Chapter twelve: "Days in the Sun" ***

It had taken Hiccup and Toothless a really long time, limping with the Beast all the way through the woods and back to the castle, but at least Mrs. Potts and the other servants wasted no time preparing the Beast's bedroom upon seeing the state they were in. In practically no time at all, they turned it into a proper hospital wing, clearing out the dust and once more filling the room with necessary light.

As soon as they entered the chamber, the Beast fell unconscious on her bed, which sagged beneath her weight. Hiccup wasn't surprised. Even without all the other injuries, the broken bone (which he'd set in a make-shift splint in the woods) would've been enough to blind anyone with pain.

With the servants' help, Hiccup did his best washing out the bleeding wounds with alcohol and tying tourniquets around them, relying on memories of his mother doing these sorts of procedures. It wasn't until around midnight that Hiccup finally sat back in his chair and rested. All things considered, it was honestly a miracle that he and Toothless weren't seriously hurt as well, or worse. He was grateful for that, at least.

Although Hiccup didn't have much worry that the Beast's stubbornness wouldn't see her through her recovery, for now, he decided to stay in a neighboring bedchamber, just in case her condition changed. Thankfully, she made it through the rest of the night and continued to sleep well into the next morning. But… saving her life didn't do much to bend her attitude once she had finally woken up.

"OW!" she roared from her bed, pulling away as he synched off a clean bandage. "That hurt!" she complained.

"If you would hold still, it wouldn't hurt so much!" Hiccup remarked.

She scowled at him, then plopped her face in her pillow. "If you hadn't run away, none of this would've happened," she grumbled, her voice muffled through the thick fabric.

"Well, if you hadn't come after me, this definitely wouldn't have happened!" he snapped back.

The Beast's head shot up from her pillow and she gaped at him openly. "So, it's _my_ _fault_ for saving your life?!"

Hiccup grit his teeth. "I didn't need you to, thank you very much!"

"HA!" she barked a laugh. "What kind of idiot runs off into the woods after dark and expects not to be hunted by wild dragons?! Or bandits?! Or worse?!"

Hiccup reared up, meeting her gaze. "The same idiot that could've left you in the snow but decided to save your ungrateful –!"

The doors suddenly banged open, interrupting them. "I brought the bandages like you asked, Doctor Hiccup!" announced Chip with a smile on his face, delighted to be helping, entering the room on his cart.

Both Hiccup and the Beast clammed up before the innocent child could approach the bed.

Swallowing his impending insult, Hiccup turned his focus on the cute little teacup. "Yes. Thank you, Chip," Hiccup answered.

The Beast huffed indignantly, turning away from him and pulling the covers over her shoulders. She winced once more as she moved her wing but did not complain.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed, "Just try to get some rest."

The Beast gave no response, other than her broad back turned to him indifferently. Hiccup moved to sit on the trunk at the foot of the bed.

"Thank you, H," said Tuffwick at his feet.

"Yes, we are eternally grateful," added Cogslegs.

"Why do you all care about her so much?" Hiccup asked, still a little irritated from their row.

"We've looked after her all her life," Mrs. Potts said. All the servants nodded in agreement. "She may act out sometimes but… to us, she is family."

"But why do you all stick up for her?" Hiccup asked. "She's cursed you somehow. Why? You did nothing!"

All the servants went quiet, shamefully gazing at the floor. Hiccup worried if he'd touched a subject he shouldn't have.

Mrs. Potts drew a sad face. "You're quite right there, dear... You see, when our lady lost her mother, her broken father took that sweet, innocent lass and… twisted her up to be just like him… Trained her until she bled… It took her whole childhood away… and we did nothing."

The mood became somber and no one said anything for a while.

Cogslegs gently stepped in. "Come. Let her sleep."

All the servants quietly stepped out, but Hiccup decided to stay a little longer. He turned and looked back at the Beast sleeping peacefully under the covers. He thought carefully over everything the servants had said and everything that had happened.

Did he really have the right to judge her actions in the present when he had no idea what her past had been like?

Hiccup wasn't sure. He was still wrestling with the idea that maybe, just maybe, he might have been wrong about her. Still… there were so many unanswered questions he wanted to know, but one stuck to the forefront of his mind for now.

Hiccup pursed his lips in thought. _If she wasn't the conjuror of this magic curse, then what role did she play in all this?_

He watched as the Beast seemed to stir in her sleep. Her eyes scrunched and her face grimaced like she was facing a nightmare or a fever dream. She kicked off a corner of the bed covers, and Hiccup moved to replace them. He touched her forehead, feeling for a fever. It was hard to tell, but he thought she felt a little warm, so he squeezed a small towel from the water bowl on the nightstand and placed it on her head. She seemed to relax slightly under its cool touch and didn't raise anymore fuss.

…

Astrid normally would've been overjoyed to feel inside her human body again, but not like this. Not this small body. She hated feeling this small, so tiny and helpless, it reminded her of… No, not this memory. Not again.

She was surrounded by endless darkness. Then she turned around and saw the four-poster bed. The drawn curtains were black as midnight. Only one pair were held open to her. A large man stood over the bed, staring down at the woman lying in it. He was silently crying, his tears falling into his blonde mustache and beard. Little Astrid drew up beside him, confused, scared, and too young to truly understand that her mother was gone.

 _Days in the sun_

 _When my life has barely begun_

 _Not until my whole life is done,_

 _will I ever leave you…_

Downstairs in the ballroom, Maestro Throk Cadenza played a melancholic tune on his keys. His thoughts turning to his wife, trapped upstairs.

 _Will I tremble again_

 _To my dear one's gorgeous refrain?_

Brother and sister danced in a slow waltz nearby.

 _Will you now forever remain_

 _Out of reach of my arms?_

Mrs. Potts was tucking Chip into bed – or rather the corner of the cupboard she had made into his room. Bless Chip for adjusting so well to this huge change in his life. How she hoped he'd get to run and play in the sun again.

 _All those days in the sun_

 _What I'd give to relive just one_

 _Undo what's done and bring back the light_

Upstairs, Madame Malarobe the wardrobe was singing an opera tune, mirroring the harpsicord downstairs in the ballroom.

 _Oh, I could sing_

 _Of the pain these dark days bring_

 _The spell we're under_

 _Still it's the wonder of us I sing of tonight_

With the Beast still resting, Hiccup was now free to roam around the castle, instead of being locked in his room, though he didn't dare try to escape again. He spent his time checking up on Toothless in the courtyard or wandering around the corridors, exploring the dark, old halls and worn chambers. He wondered how one of the most magnificent and fortified Viking castles he'd ever seen could fall into ruin like this.

 _How, in the midst of all this sorrow,_

 _can so much hope and love endure?_

 _I was innocent and certain_

 _Now I'm wiser but unsure_

 _I can't go back into my childhood,_

 _One that my mother made secure_

 _I can feel a change in me_

 _I'm stronger now but still not free!_

Days passed and while Beast's condition seemed to be stabilizing, she was still bedridden and exhausted. She slept for many hours, but it did give Hiccup time to think and the chance to see her when she wasn't intimidating or angry. He dutifully stayed by her side, at first with the excuse that her condition could take a turn for the worst, but over time, Hiccup found himself gravitating to her chamber more than was strictly necessary. The girl had such a peaceful gentleness to her face when she slept that Hiccup felt strangely put at ease. He could sit by her side, dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth, and just watch her without feeling the time slipping by.

 _Days in the sun_

 _will return, we must believe_

 _As lovers do_

 _That days in the sun_

 _will come shining through_

On one such day, as the beast slept, Hiccup's gaze gravitated toward the rose, still sitting outside on the balcony. "What happens when the last petal falls?" he asked.

Tuffwick answered from the floor, "Our lady will turn into a true beast forever, both mind and body… and we become…"

"Antiques," said Mrs. Potts.

"Knick-knacks," said Tuffwick.

"Lightly-used houseware," said Ruffette.

"Rubbish," stated Cogslegs flatly. "We become rubbish."

Hiccup sat on the trunk at the foot of the bed, his hands on his knees. "I want to help you. There must be some way to break the curse."

Cogslegs stepped forward. "Well, there is one –" But Ruffette punched him in the arm.

"It's not for you to worry about, lad," said Mrs. Potts. "We've made our bed and we must lie in it."

Hiccup nodded but still glanced between the rose and the Beast. It was at that moment that he promised himself, somehow, someway, he was going to find a way to break this curse. Maybe then, and only then, would he be able to go home…

…

That evening, Mrs. Potts had arranged for a bowl of soup to be brought up to the Beast's room. Hiccup had set the tray in front of her, but when she struggled to lift the spoon to her own mouth with her uninjured arm, Hiccup resigned himself and sat on the edge of her bed, carefully spoon-feeding her.

Although it was obvious by the look in her eyes that she didn't like this arrangement, she didn't have the voice to complain. She didn't seem to have the heart to say anything, for she hadn't spoken to him since their argument.

After a while, she gradually took less and less spoonfuls and silently signaled to him that she was done. Then she fell back on her pillow and stared blankly at the ceiling. Hiccup set the bowl aside and glanced out the window. The sun had nearly set, and he was thinking about turning in for the night.

He stood up and took a step toward the door when he was surprised to hear her speak up.

"Why did you save me?" she asked, the tone of her voice much gentler than ever before.

Hiccup turned and blinked in surprise. For a moment, he tried to think of a fitting answer, but he couldn't quite put the words together. He shrugged and said, "I don't know… I guess because you saved me, and I was returning the favor."

The Beast huffed in response but accepted the answer.

"Why _did_ you come after me?" Hiccup asked, the thought occurring to him for the first time.

The Beast glanced at him and sighed indignantly, "I told you. What kind of idiot goes off into the woods and excepts not to get hurt out there?"

"So, you came out of concern?" Hiccup asked.

The Beast rolled her eyes. "Turns out I was right." But before Hiccup could retort, a smile curled on her lips. It turned into a snicker. "I saw you out there. You – ha, ha – You swing worse than my Uncle Phin when he's in a drinking rage!" she laughed.

Although taken aback by this, Hiccup was strangely inclined to laugh with her, even though it was funny hearing a sweet girl's laugh coming out of a dragon's mouth.

He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. "Yeah, I never was the best axe-swinger. The villagers back home would usually yell, 'Duck!' if I held one in a crowd."

The Beast laughed again but stopped herself a little short, blushing. That was the first time she'd laughed in such a long time. Was she actually smiling right now?

She cleared her throat. "You really should be swinging with your hips, not just your arms. That way you get the most momentum."

"You sound like you have a lot of experience," said Hiccup, raising an eyebrow.

She froze for a moment, then looked away, her smile gone. "Well… that was a long time ago…"

"Back when you were human?"

She quickly turned and looked at him with wide eyes. Then understanding hit her and she rolled her eyes before face-palming. "So… the others told you about the curse?"

Hiccup shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, most of it. But they wouldn't tell me how to break it."

She nodded solemnly. "Good. It's better that way. It's not your problem to solve anyway… It's mine…"

There was a long awkward silence and Hiccup took it as an invitation to leave.

He turned toward the door when he heard her ask, "Will you stay with me? Uh… please?" He looked at her as she once more stared up at the ceiling, avoiding his gaze. "Just until I fall asleep. I… don't want to be alone…"

Hiccup stood there a little dumbfounded.

No. All he had to say was 'no'. He didn't _have_ to listen to her. He didn't have to oblige her at all. He could just sleep in his own perfectly comfortable bed next door and tell her to just deal with it. But…

He nodded. "Yeah, okay." He pulled up a chair and sat down, smiling thinly. "I'm not going anywhere."


	16. Something There

**B &B – Chapter Thirteen: "Something There"* **

**I don't know if I really need to, but just in case: I do not own any properties of Disney, DreamWorks, or of William Sharp. That being said, I had fun writing this chapter, and I hope you will enjoy it just as much. Thank you all for over 4, 000 views! I still just can't process it! Enjoy!**

Valka awoke to dappled sunshine shining through the green leaves above her. She grimaced in pain and tried to touch her face but was confused when she could not.

"What in the –?" she struggled and then fully opened her eyes. Ropes were tied around her wrists and ankles, and she was tied around the base of a big oak tree. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered.

Thankfully, it wasn't much longer when Valka thought she heard a twig snap and called out in a weak and dry voice, "H-Hey! I need help! Over here!"

The foliage rustled and out stepped a cloaked young woman. Although Valka couldn't recall her name, she felt as though she should recognize her.

This young woman had long raven-black hair, braided elegantly over one shoulder. Her face was pale, but she moved with elegance and grace. Her eyes were emerald green and piercing, as though she could look straight into your heart.

The young woman seemed just as surprised to see Valka. She lowered the hood of her cloak and revealed a look of concern on her face.

"Oh dear. Let me help you," she said, kneeling down and pulling out a knife. She made quick work of the ropes and helped lift Valka to her feet. "This way," she said, pointing back the way she came.

She let the weak woman lean against her as she guided Valka down a narrow path. It wasn't long before they rounded a corner and out of the brush emerged a tiny cottage. In front, was a campfire and it was here that the girl helped the woman sit on a log.

"Wait here. I'll be right back," she said, turning and stepping into the tiny cottage. Sure enough, moments later, she returned with a wooden cup of tea. "This'll help."

Valka recognized the herbs given and gratefully took it in her hands, taking slow sips. "Thank you," she said, barely above a whisper.

"I come across quite a few interesting characters in these woods, but I can't say I've ever seen someone tied up to a tree before," the young woman said with a little smile.

"I'm looking for my son. Have you seen a castle in these woods?" Valka asked.

The girl paused for a moment, thinking. "Once," she answered, "But I would advise that you go back home. These woods are dangerous, and it is easy to get lost."

Valka shook her head. "That is very kind of you, but nothing is going to stop me from finding my son."

The young woman nodded in sympathy. "I understand. But at least allow me to escort you back to the village. You should recoup your strength and reset your bearings."

Valka bit her lip. It pained her to admit it, but that sounded like the safest option, even if Hiccup would have to wait a bit longer. She nodded, "Thank you."

…

Back in the castle, Astrid woke in her bed to Hiccup's voice speaking to her in rhythmic phrases, which she realized was poetry.

"Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind and therefore…"

"And therefore, is winged Cupid painted blind," she finished.

Hiccup looked down at her in surprise. "You know Shakespeare?"

She leaned forward, slowly sitting up, her wing of an arm held in a sling. She groaned, "Expensive education."

Hiccup smiled. This was the first person he met that even knew of Shakespeare. "Actually, ' _Romeo and Juliet'_ is my favorite play."

The Beast fell back on her pillow again, rolling her eyes and groaning, "Why is _that_ not a surprise?"

Hiccup gaped at her. "I'm sorry?"

The Beast grimaced. "All that heartache and pining and… Blah! Ack!" she spat. "No way! Not when there are so many better things to read!" she groaned.

"Like _what?"_ Hiccup said, hotly.

It wasn't long before Beast led him down a new corridor he hadn't seen before and shoved open a pair of double doors. "A few things in here, to start with," she said, stepping inside.

Hiccup couldn't speak. From floor to ceiling, the entire chamber was full of books. Books and scrolls stuffed every shelf covering every wall. Hiccup was speechless.

Looking at him, the Beast asked, "What's wrong?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I… I just can't… the words…" He looked at her, his eyes glinting with his broad smile. "Never in all my life have I seen so many books!" he explained, his eyes continuing to roam more and more shelves. It was as though he feared if he blinked they would all disappear. "This is just so… wonderful!"

The Beast looked around with him, then nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is."

A long time ago, this was just another room she found very boring, but since the curse fell upon her, it became another room that taunted her because she couldn't use it.

She shrugged. "Well, if you like it so much, then it's yours."

The look on Hiccup's face almost alarmed her.

"To use!" she clarified. "It's still mine, but you can read whatever you want." For a moment her eyes cast down to her wings for arms and claws for fingers. She hugged her injured arm close and muttered, "You'll get more use out of it than I will…"

Catching her gaze toward her claws, Hiccup looked on the desk next to him and noticed long, unintentional scratch marks in the wood. The shredded remains of a few novels had been swept up and amateurishly pieced back together, left in a discarded pile.

Letting the conversation drop, the Beast turned to go, when Hiccup asked her a question he'd been dying to know.

"What's your name?" he asked. "I know you said to call you 'Beast', but still…"

She stopped for a moment, half turning toward him, almost considering it. But her shoulders slumped, and she shook her head. "You'll only laugh if you knew," she said, for once not growling.

"Oh, come on. It can't be worse than 'Hiccup', right?" he said. Then he raised his hand. "I swear to Odin I won't laugh, whatever it is."

She finally sighed and looked at him. "It's Astrid, okay? Happy now?"

Hiccup smiled to himself. _'Divine beauty'._ Somehow it seemed fitting. Careful not to laugh, he answered, "Yes. Very much so."

…

By the time lunch was ready, Hiccup had three stacks of books sitting on the table beside him. He ate quietly as his eyes poured over a book of poetry.

Without even thinking, Astrid looked down at her plate and sunk her teeth in the turkey leg, ripping a large chunk from the bone. She saw Hiccup staring and stopped just as the last tendon was about to snap. She quickly closed her mouth and avoided eye contact.

Oh gods! How embarrassing! He saw me eating like an animal!

But when she looked up, she was surprised to see Hiccup scarfing down his meat as well. He probably did it just to make her feel less embarrassed. But he did look pretty silly with grease around his mouth.

They both snickered across the table.

…

After their meal, Astrid tentatively offered Hiccup a chance to walk around the gardens. Hiccup almost declined, preferring to stay inside and read, but he figured a breath of fresh air would do him some good.

It was along their walk that Astrid plucked up the courage to break the awkward silence. "So, uh… what are you reading?" she asked.

Hiccup held up the book in his hand and shrugged. "I'm not sure, really. I just picked it up. Some poetry by William Sharp."

Astrid nodded a little. "I vaguely remember one of my tutors talking about him. I think it was… _'A Crystal Forest'_ or something? _"_

Hiccup turned the page and found the poem she was referring. He read aloud as they crossed over a small bridge.

"The air is blue and keen and cold,

And in a shining sheath enrolled.

Each branch, each twig, each blade of grass,

Seems clad miraculously with… glass…"

He looked back and saw that Astrid had stopped on the bridge and was staring over the frozen lake. He walked back and stood beside her, wondering what she was staring at.

"I feel as if I'm seeing it for the first time," she said, almost smiling.

Hiccup nodded with her, looking out over the shining ice. Yes, it was very beautiful.

She glanced at him and shrugged, nonchalantly. "Um… is there any more?"

Hiccup smirked as he turned back to his page.

"For in that solemn silence is heard

the whisper of every sleeping thing:

Look, look at me,

Come wake me up

for still here I'll be…"

They looked at each other, and their eyes met. Had her eyes always been so blue? Had his eyes always been so green?

They seemed to be holding their breath, realizing how close they were, almost feeling a magnetic pull. But then they simultaneously looked away. Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. Astrid cleared her throat and was quick to change the subject.

"Uh… didn't you say you had a Night Fury?" she asked.

Hiccup looked at her and his lips curled into his crooked smile.

…

Hiccup soon led Astrid to the courtyard, where Toothless stayed in the stable. As soon as Toothless saw Hiccup, the dragon jumped up and bounded toward him. Whether to tackle the boy to the ground or to lick his face, Astrid wasn't sure.

"Easy, bud! This is Astrid. She just wants to meet you," Hiccup chuckled, stroking the excited dragon under his chin.

Then Hiccup turned and, without warning, took Astrid's hand and lifted it toward the dragon. Suddenly afraid, she tried to pull away from him. "I don't know, Hiccup. Maybe I should admire from afar…"

Hiccup just smiled encouragingly. "It's okay. I promise, you're okay…"

He slowly lifted her hand and Astrid didn't fight him, despite how her heart pounded. Still, she closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Then Astrid felt something warm and scaly against her palm. For a moment, she still refused to open her eyes, partially terrified of what she'd see. But then she peeked open one eye and saw the Night Fury resting his face against her touch. She could feel the warm moisture breathe through his nose against her fingers.

Astrid stared up at him, feeling more dwarfed than ever. But she didn't feel threatened. To her surprise, she rather enjoyed it, being in the presence of something even more powerful than her, it made her feel… almost human.

" _Wow,"_ she breathed, a smile curling at her lips, her heart beating excitedly in her chest.

Hiccup smiled, slowly stepping back and watching the two from afar. Toothless had quickly taken a shine to Astrid, already trying to mimic her smile. This delighted Astrid and she tried to encourage the dragon to cross his eyes and roll his tongue. It made Hiccup shake his head and chuckle.

 _There's something sweet, and almost kind_

 _But she was mean, and she was coarse and unrefined_

 _Yet now she's dear and so unsure_

 _I wonder why I didn't see it there before_

Biting his lip, Hiccup stealthily bent down and packed a snowball in his hands. He threw it, hitting Astrid in the shoulder and laughed when she jumped. Astrid turned and glared at him. Then she smirked. With a mighty curl of her tail, she formed a huge snowball and launched it, hitting Hiccup square in the chest. He slipped backward on a patch of ice and landed flat on his back, completely buried in the snow. As he sat up, Astrid laughed at the sight of his white frosted hair.

 _He glanced this way, I thought I saw_

 _And when we touched, he didn't shudder at my claw_

 _No, it can't be, I'll just ignore_

 _But no one's ever looked at me this way before_

Thinking of a fun idea, Astrid looped her arm with Hiccup's and dragged him to the frozen lake. She was laughing, confidently skating onto the ice with her clawed feet, but when Hiccup saw the ice, his smile was immediately gone. His face went pale and he skidded to a stop, his foot touching the very edge of the shoreline.

"Uh… Astrid, I-I can't. My leg –"

She turned to him and scowled a little. "Oh, don't let a little ice stand in your way! Come on!"

Before he could wriggle out of her grasp, she dragged him out onto the ice. Just as he feared, he slipped and frantically grabbed onto her to keep from falling down. His knees were practically buckling together, trying to hold him up.

Astrid chuckled lightly. "I got you, Hiccup, you can do this," she said, "Don't look down. Look up at me, okay?"

Hiccup's heart beat frantically in his chest, but he forced himself to look up at her face and nodded, gulping a little. "O-Okay…"

It didn't take long for her to help him stand up straight again, keeping his knees bent. Then she took his hands and smiled as she slowly started pulling him to slide across the ice with her. Hiccup struggled to keep steady at first, but the more he focused on Astrid and her smile, the less clumsy and self-conscious he felt about his leg. After a while, Hiccup started to smile again, and he left his fears and cares behind. They even whooped and hollered like idiots as they picked up speed, spinning around the lake.

 _New, and a bit alarming_

 _Who'd have ever thought that this could be?_

 _True, that she's no Princess Charming_

 _But there's something in her that I simply didn't see_

Of course, all the servants were spying on them in the background, barely able to contain their glee. It was all they could do, gossiping with each other just to hold back their excitement.

 _Well, who'd have thought? Well, bless my soul!_

 _Well, who'd have known? Well, who indeed?_

 _And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?_

 _We'll wait and see a few days more_

 _There may be something there that wasn't there before_

"What, Mama? What is it?" Chip asked, glancing back and forth at the other servants in confusion. His mother merely smirked at him.

 _There may be something there that wasn't there before…_

"Oh, come on! Tell me! Tell me!" Chip begged, hopping behind her. "What is it? What's there?"

Mrs. Potts rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you when you're older."

Chip scowled at her in annoyance, pouting, but then a moment later, he smiled again. "Okay, I'm older!"

Mrs. Potts chuckled, nudging her son, "Oh, Chip! You are a one!"


	17. The Stranger

**B &B-Chapter Sixteen: "The Stranger"***

 **This chapter was another divergent from the original B &B story. As the plot thickens, things get a little darker… We'll just have to wait and see what the future entails for our heroes. **

At first, everything was bright. She was outside, under the beating sun. Her arms ached terribly, but she knew her father was watching her closely. She couldn't quit now. So, she kept swinging her axe at the target as best as she could, over and over and over again, until she finally counted to fifty.

As soon as she was done, she dropped her axe and panted, hands on her knees. But her father wasn't smiling.

"Do it again, Astrid!" he snapped at her.

She gaped up at him. "B-But Daddy! I did it fifty times like you asked!"

"You were sloppy for the last ten swings. A single mistake can cost your life, Astrid. You must make every single one count. Now do it over again!"

"But –"

"AGAIN!"

Then the scene strangely changed. She was back in her beastly body, surrounded by smothering darkness again. No matter which way she turned, she couldn't find any light.

"Hiccup? Where are you?" she called out into the pitch blackness.

She heard crunching under her clawed feet and looked down. Large broken pieces of shattered mirror glass lay everywhere, a trail leading down what she realized was the castle corridor.

She followed the trail, being led by flickering torch light, but then she turned the corner and saw the mangled body on the floor. She leapt back and saw her clawed hands were covered with blood. She screamed in horror.

Astrid jolted forward in bed, her forehead beading in cold sweat. She panted as her eyes wildly searched the dimly moonlit room. Where was she?

Then her gaze fell on Hiccup asleep on the couch across from her own. Her eyes finally adjusted, and she looked around in wonder. _Did… did we actually fall asleep, talking in the library?_

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. _That's right, we… we were comparing different books we liked…_ Hiccup was stubbornly defending Shakespeare, and Astrid argued that the adventures of Robin Hood were way better. In the end, they laughed and agreed to disagree.

There was no blood. No screams. No dying Hiccup. He was breathing softly, his chest rising and falling, his head cradled in a pillow on the armrest. She smiled faintly at him.

She almost reached out to brush his hair, but she stopped herself, her smile gone. The sight of her clawed hand heading toward him gave her chills, and she pulled it back.

 _Maybe it had been just a nightmare… but that didn't mean it wasn't going to come true soon…_

That was when Astrid looked up and saw one of the curtains in the open window flapping in the breeze. Beyond them, the moon shone brightly on the castle. From this angle, it was easy to look up and see the balcony to her room… and a shadow.

A tall figure stood outside on the balcony by the rose. Even with the dark and tattered cloak, Astrid knew exactly who it was, waiting for her. She scowled, her eyebrows knitting together. Keeping silent so as to not wake Hiccup, she pulled back her blanket and crept out of the library, climbing up the staircase back to her room and stepped onto the balcony to meet her uninvited guest.

"Well… long time, no see," Astrid glowered, crossing her arms. _"Heather."_

The figure turned and showed her young, fair skinned face to Astrid. Her long, braided raven-black hair and emerald-green eyes were exactly as Astrid remembered them all those years ago. Her pink lips curled into a pleasant smile, even though her sharp eyes didn't quite match it.

"It's a pleasure to see you again too, _Astrid,"_ she said in her sweet voice, ignoring Astrid's rudeness. "And I'm glad to see you aren't alone for once."

"Don't pretend to be innocent," Astrid snapped, pointing a threatening finger. "I know it was you who lured Hiccup's mother here in the first place. How could you do that? They were total strangers that had nothing to do with this. You ruined his life!"

The Valkyrie gave her a sharp look, the smile gone from her face. "Me? I'm not the one who decided to keep him as a prisoner, Astrid."

"I still don't hear you denying it," Astrid growled.

The Valkyrie sighed at this. "Yes, I may have pulled a few strings, but, honestly, it's not like you're making this curse any easier."

Astrid huffed a laugh. "Oh, that's rich! After all these years, _now_ you suddenly seem to care? Where was this _'concern'_ when you decided to curse all of my servants as well?!"

The Valkyrie didn't raise her voice, although her eyes gleaned with a bit of anger in their depths. "Where was your _'concern'_ for their well-being when they were human? I seem to recall you calling them _'nothing but tools for war'_."

"I was a child!" Astrid snapped.

"And the leader of your people!" Heather snapped back.

"Argh!" Astrid cried in frustration, throwing her arms and turning away, looking out over the dark landscape. "I swear it's like this every time you show up! I don't even know why you keep visiting me!"

"Don't you forget that I am just as trapped here as you are," Heather argued at Astrid's turned back, "I have been living among the mortals all these years, waiting for my chance to return home! But I can't do that until the curse is broken."

Astrid rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Yeah, didn't really think it through, did you?"

Heather could've blown a fuse, but she closed her eyes and sighed patiently. "I came out of curtesy," she said, calmly, "His mother was out looking for him."

Astrid turned to her, eyes widened slightly. "Oh… I see… H-How is she?"

Heather shook her head. "Not good. She's sick with worry. I led her back to the village, but she's determined to try again."

They were both silent for a moment. Astrid pursed her lips, clutching her clawed hand, thinking.

"Something's bothering you," Heather stated, as though reading her mind.

Astrid simply nodded. "I… I was wondering if I might ask for a favor."

"You're asking _me_ for help?" Heather chuckled in surprise, "You _must_ be desperate."

Astrid ignored her, pushing onward. "Is there anything you can do to stop me from… you know… at least, mentally?" she asked.

Heather frowned and sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid not. A curse is different than other spells. It is a contract; its terms and conditions are ironclad and unchangeable. Likewise, the magic that sustains it cannot be given more or be taken back. When I cast the curse, I gave up more than half of my magic. I wanted to give you as much time as possible… but it is still an hourglass. The magic _will_ run out. Until the curse is broken or the rose loses its last petal, I can't do anything…"

Astrid bowed her head low. So that was it? There was nothing she could do to change her fate? Or at least… change his?

Astrid took a deep breath and started pacing back and forth, chewing on her thumb in thought. "Unchangeable… conditions unchangeable…" Then her gaze fell on the rose again. "So… what if the curse isn't changed, so to speak… what if there's another condition added to it?"

Heather raised her eyebrow. "In theory, it _is_ possible, but that would depend on the request."

Astrid bit her lip and looked down at her clawed hands. It was so easy… too easy to imagine them drenched in dark red… and that future was coming soon… but not if she could help it.

She clenched her hands into fists, fighting a terrible feeling of dread. "I want you to give Hiccup a protection spell, against me. Make it part of the curse."

Heather's eyes widened in alarm. "As it is, the rose only has a little magic left! If I do this, then the curse will only –"

"I don't care!" Astrid snapped, turning on her. "Hiccup was the one roped into this. The _least_ you can do is make sure I won't kill him, once I…" She couldn't even form the words to finish. "Please… just do it!"

Heather and Astrid measured each other in their gaze for a while, then Heather sighed with something like pity, gently removing the crystal topper. "I hope you understand this will only hasten the time limit."

Astrid nodded. "I know. But…" She glanced back at Hiccup's sleeping form. "I need the insurance."

Heather closed her eyes and a soft pink glow appeared, shimmering, warping around the rose. "Very well… but this is all I can do." Heather nodded, lifting the magic from the rose. "So long as the curse remains, you will not fatally harm him." As she said this, the rose began to wither marginally faster, its petals graying at the tips as the stem bowed its bulb like a hanging head.

Heather waved her arm and the pink shimmering light drifted through the air, gliding down through the library window. It hovered over Hiccup for a moment. Then the shimmering glow floated down, silently settling into his skin. Hiccup turned over in his sleep, totally unaware of the spell cast on him now.

Astrid breathed a little easier. "Thank you," she murmured.

Heather raised an eyebrow. "I thought you still hated me."

Astrid shrugged. "Yeah, well, I guess people change, or something like that…"

The two women smiled at each other. If only for that moment, they could look at each other as friends.

But then Heather frowned. "This is the last time we will meet, Astrid," she said, almost with a hint of sadness. "I only see two futures ahead of you now… I pray for your good fortune."

And with that, Heather disappeared in a whirl of snow.


	18. Runaway

**B &B –** **Chapter Seventeen: Runaway***

 **I feel the need to apologize that this chapter took so long, but it was very painful to write. If you haven't predicted, you'll soon understand why...**

The days peacefully passed, and Hiccup was amazed to note that Astrid's arm was quickly healing. She merely shrugged, unable to explain whether it was because of magic or maybe because she was part dragon, or something else. Regardless, she hardly needed the sling anymore, but Hiccup insisted that she use it sparingly.

One day, Hiccup found Astrid sitting in the garden among the roses. Her eyes were fixed on a leather-bound book and she was being extra careful not to tear the pages with her claws. Hiccup smiled as he got closer and could read the title.

"So… _Guinevere and Lancelot?"_ he asked, unable to hide his smirk.

She looked up at him and instantly closed the book. "Well… actually, _King Arthur and the Round Table,"_ Astrid answered pointedly. "You know, knights and men and swords and… stuff…"

Hiccup sat beside her on the stone bench, nodding along. "Of course. But still… it's a _romance,"_ he teased.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," she huffed, making her signature annoyed face that Hiccup found very adorable.

"I... never thanked you for saving my life," he said, his smile fading slightly.

Astrid blinked. "I guess, I never thanked you for not leaving me to be eaten by wolves."

They both chuckled a little.

There was a sudden and loud BOOM that exploded from the kitchen. It wasn't long before Cogslegs could be heard cursing out Tuffwick and Ruffette for experimenting with the gas oven.

Hiccup laughed, "They certainly know how to have a good time."

Astrid smirked a little, nodding. "Yes, they have been good to me. But… every time I enter the room, laughter dies."

Hiccup looked down at the ground and shrugged, kicking a rock with his metal foot. "I know the feeling." When Astrid looked at him puzzled, he explained, "The villagers think I'm a _'funny boy'_ , but I know they don't mean it as a compliment."

"I'm sorry," said Astrid. Then she scowled. "Your village sounds terrible."

Hiccup laughed at her bluntness. "Almost as lonely as your castle."

She leaned back and looked up at the clouds. Hiccup leaned back and stared with her. Just as he was about to relax, she suddenly punched him in the arm. "Ow! Why would you do that?!"

"This is getting depressing!" she said, sitting up. "What do you say we run away?"

…

"Are you sure it's okay to just leave?" Hiccup asked, kneeling down and tightening the harness of Toothless's saddle.

"I already told Mrs. Potts we'll be back by tonight. We just need to get out of the castle for a few hours," Astrid said, stroking Toothless's head and keeping the excited dragon still. "Besides… I'm curious what it's like to fly. I've never flown a dragon before."

Hiccup looked up at her in shock. "What do you mean, you haven't flown before?" he asked, gesturing with his hand. "What about your wings?"

"They aren't true wings," she replied. "At most they allow me to glide for a bit, but I can't fly. I haven't been much higher than the pine trees in the forest."

Hiccup smirked and stood up. "Well then, you might want to hold on."

…

Toothless stretched his wings and immediately took off, tearing across the sky. Astrid shrieked at the sudden propulsion and grabbing onto Hiccup in a death grip. Toothless banked and headed out west, leaving the mainland behind, flying over the open ocean.

Hiccup couldn't help but smile as Astrid shrieked and hollered at every twirl and steep dive. But she never asked for him to stop. She only held on tighter.

One heart-racing flight later, Astrid was laughing nervously behind Hiccup as they leveled off.

"Gods, that was amazing!" Astrid beamed, hugging Hiccup tighter. She glanced down at Toothless and grinned. "He's amazing." The dragon smiled back at her.

Then she spotted something in the distance.

"Let's rest at that island over there," she said, pointing over his shoulder.

Seeing the island on the horizon, Hiccup nodded. "Alright."

But as they drew closer, something wasn't quite right about the place. Despite the houses that dotted the cove, there weren't any people in sight.

They landed in the middle of the village square, staring at the damage.

The destruction around them was incredible to say the least. Despite the many years allowing for wild plants to overgrow, the damage done to the buildings surrounding them was still very evident. Gaping holes were punched through the sides of buildings. Scorch marks were still seared into the ground. Longhouses burnt black, others burnt to the ground. Everything of value was gone. No baskets of food, no stashed coin purses. Nothing.

Then Hiccup's eyes fell on a particular house at the top of the hill. Flashes of memories came to him and he gasped a shuddering breath.

"No way… it can't be…" Hiccup gaped, slowly walking up the stone path.

Astrid followed behind him at a bit of a distance, watching him carefully, unsure where he was going. When Hiccup reached the front door, he gently touched the doorframe, rubbing some soot away to reveal etched marks in the wood.

 _Hiccup, 1 year. Hiccup, 2 years. Hiccup, 3 ½ years. Hiccup, 5 years. Hiccup, 7 years._

"After all this time… it was this close," Hiccup breathed, kneeling down until he was eyelevel with his height at seven years old.

"Hiccup, what is it?" Astrid asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Hiccup looked at her, his eyes wide and lost. "This… was Berk…"

Astrid blinked, then turned and looked again over the houses as though realizing it was a village for the first time. _This must've been his childhood home… but what in Midgard could've…?_

Hiccup moved past her and gently pushed open the creaking door. The inside was just as damaged as the outside. The roof was caved in, letting dull afternoon sunlight streaming in. It only made the wooden walls look more depressing, nothing at all like they used to be.

"It's… so much smaller than I remember it," he said, his hand trailing the edge of what used to be their kitchen table.

 _This was the village of my childhood_

 _These were the borders of my life_

 _In this crumbling, dusty longhouse_

 _Where a Viking loved his wife_

 _Easy to remember_

 _Harder to move on…_

 _Knowing that the Berk of my childhood_

 _Is gone…_

Astrid stayed standing just inside the doorframe, feeling distinctly unwelcome in this space. "What happened to your father?" she asked, extremely gentle.

Hiccup closed his mouth and swallowed. "It… was the one story I couldn't get out of Mom," he answered, his voice slightly cracking. "All I remember is being surrounded by fire and ash. My leg was crushed under a beam and I was pinned. I must have lost consciousness because when I woke up, Mom and I were drifting in a boat, but Dad wasn't with us. She… she was crying, and I knew better than to ask."

It was quiet for a moment as Astrid silently looked around. Then she noticed something odd sticking out of the side of the house. With a quiet jerk, Astrid pulled out an old arrow, inspecting its head. She recognized its familiar shape. Outcasts.

She looked up and Hiccup saw the arrow in her hands. Her eyes twisted in sympathy.

"Raid..."

Hiccup looked again at the broken beam in the center of the house. It was so easy to picture now. The rest of the story finally filling in the missing gaps…

...

"He's pinned, Stoick! I can't pull him out!" Valka cried desperately, the fire making her choke and gag.

"Stand back, Val!" Stoick bellowed. Grabbing the beam in his hands, he pulled with all the strength he could muster and lifted it over his shoulders. The man trembled and shook under the weight, but he held steady. He wasn't going to let it fall on his son. "Q-Quick, Val! Hurry!" he ordered.

His wife quickly knelt down and pulled a tiny, unconscious Hiccup out from under the rubble. With a mighty yell, Stoick tossed the beam away where it couldn't harm anyone else. Valka was quick to wrap Hiccup's crushed foot in bandages, even though they were bleeding through pretty quickly. She already knew it would have to be amputated, but she couldn't work through the shock of it right now. Now, their biggest concern was survival.

Moving across the room, Stoick grabbed his axe and stepped toward the door. The screams outside were only growing louder as the invaders drew closer. "You two must get to the boats," he said, glaring out the windows, the roaring fires giving harsh lines to his face. "Make a break for the mainland. You'll be safe there. I need to help the boys hold off those traitors here. When it's over, I'll come for you."

Valka couldn't say anything, her face twisting in pain. It would do no good arguing. They were out of time. With a final kiss, she took little Hiccup in her arms and hurried out the back door…

...

Hiccup's eyes roamed around the house, and he caught sight of a familiar object buried under a discarded pile of broken wood. He knelt down and gingerly pulled it out, turning it in his hands.

How the little toy survived the fire would forever be a mystery, but it would be the only thing still recognizable to Hiccup: a small stuffed green dragon with buttons for eyes and floppy triangle wings. Hiccup remembered his dad's huge hand pretending to make the toy fly in the air in front of him.

The air was silent until Astrid tried speaking.

"T-They would've swarmed the place… coming in from the forest to the north and blocking the beaches to the south. Anyone that tried to escape from the harbor would've –"

"Just stop," he said, almost snapping.

Astrid winced, knowing she wasn't making this any better.

It was one thing to mourn the death of your father when you weren't even there for the ceremony. It was one thing to mourn when all you got was a letter from the battlefront, to not see the battle or the wounds inflicted… but this was a grief on an entirely different level. Not necessarily worse, just… different, alien.

Such a strange feeling, feeling guilty that you _haven't_ had enough grief in your life. Not enough to at least understand what someone else is going through…

Astrid bowed her head and stepped out of the house, leaving Hiccup be.

…

By the time Hiccup stepped out of the house, it was nearly dusk. He didn't know what to feel. He was just tired. He didn't want to feel anything. No even his stomach growling for Mrs. Potts' dinner could convince him to feel much hunger.

He trodded back to the village square and found Toothless, but no Astrid. "Hey, where did she go, bud?" he asked, his voice still a bit hollow.

Toothless warbled and pointed his head down toward the pier. Raising an eyebrow, Hiccup followed the path through the abandoned village, finding Astrid working on something at the beach.

It wasn't until Hiccup drew closer that he realized what it was; a small skiff, lined with beautifully arranged wild flowers and dry wood chips and leaves for kindling. Inside the hull was a small pile of wildly grown vegetables and berries. A humble offering, but appreciated nonetheless. Nearby on the shore was a bow and a few repaired arrows. Where she found everything to make all of this, he didn't know, but he didn't question her resourcefulness.

Astrid didn't seem surprised when he approached. She tried to smile thinly, but her face was just as forlorn as his.

Finally stepping away from the boat, Astrid bit her lip and held out the arrow to him. There was a moment's pause as Hiccup stared at it, then gingerly took it from her, their hands meeting briefly.

Without a word, he notched the arrow into the bowstring, nodding to Astrid to speak the funeral prayer for him. She nodded and gently pushed the boat from the shore to float off into the water.

"Lo there, do I see my father. Lo there, do I see my mother, and my sisters, and my brothers. Lo there, do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call to me. They bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla. Where the brave may live forever."

Hiccup drew the bow back and paused, aiming.

He didn't want to let go, but he realized a part of him never would want to let go. Still… it had to be done. He had to let go of it all. Berk. The village. Even his deep inner hope of living up to the hero his dad was…

So, he released. His aim was true, and the arrow arched over the water, landing inside the boat. For a moment, it seemed like the boat wouldn't ignite, but sure enough, the flames started to grow.

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Not even Toothless warbled or asked for Hiccup's attention. The sun was setting over the horizon and the darkness seemed to be pressing down on all of them, Hiccup especially.

Astrid could only watch as he seemed to shrink inside himself, deflating almost. Gods, she could only imagine what he was feeling right now. Like a single word could break him at any moment. She hated seeing him like this. It wasn't until the boat was almost out of the harbor that Hiccup spoke.

"You know, I always wished I was stronger… like my dad," he said, frailly. "But I guess I turned out pretty pathetic. Dagur was right… I am a nobody."

"That's not true," Astrid said, firmly.

"Just look at me, Astrid!" Hiccup snapped, turning on her. "I'm nothing but a weak failure! My dad sacrificed himself for me, and for what?! What have I ever accomplished? How have I made him proud? Everything just blows up in my face! I tried to teach a child to read and I got pushed around for it! My mother goes missing, and I couldn't protect her! I couldn't protect Toothless from those hunters! I couldn't even protect myself –"

"Yes, you _did,_ Hiccup," she said, shaking her head. "Don't you even realize? You sacrificed your freedom and switched places with your mom! You could've left me to die, but you saved me! You told me you could've abandoned Toothless years ago, but you didn't!"

"You know what I meant," he argued, turning away.

Astrid took a deep breath and sighed, nodding. "Yes, _I do_. But I don't think _you_ do… Hiccup, there is so much more to being a man than just being strong, tough and rugged. It's about upholding honor and being courageous when the odds are against you. It's about standing up for what's right, and protecting the people you… care about…"

Hiccup looked up at her when she trailed off. "What is it?" he asked.

Astrid laughed drily, "Nothing, it's just… I'm realizing how hypocritically that sounds coming from me of all people…"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Astrid shuffled on her feet a little before answering, "You know, I used to pray that the gods would grant me strength – the kind of strength to vanquish my enemies." She gestured to her physique and sighed, "In the end, I got exactly what I wished… but I forgot why I wanted to be strong in the first place…"

They were silent for a moment, then Astrid gently patted his shoulder.

"You are strong, Hiccup. More than you realize."

They stood and watched in silence as the boat was eventually engulfed in flames and wasn't much more than a distant glow on the horizon.

"Let's go home," Hiccup said in a quiet voice.

Astrid blinked, surprised to hear him describe the castle as home, but she didn't mention this.

"Okay," she whispered.


	19. Betrayal - Dagur

**B &B –** **Chapter Eighteen: Betrayal***

 **Almost toward the finale! I'm so excited! I know this chapter is really short, but the next chapter is the one most of you have been waiting for. Don't worry, it's coming soon! I'm just working on the final tweaks. Thank you for your patience!**

Back on the mainland, it was raining in a down pour over the village. Dagur and Snotlout dismounted their steads and were heading into the bar.

"This is some storm, huh?" Snotlout voiced loudly. "At least we're not tied to a tree in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by bloodthirsty wolves." Still Dagur ignored him. Snotlout pressed further, "You know it's not too late. We can always turn back…"

But the look Dagur gave him made Snotlout shut up.

They entered the bar and shook off the rain from their coats.

Snotlout looked positively distraught. He hadn't gotten much sleep since the night in the woods. "It's just… every time I close my eyes, I picture Valka stranded alone. And then when I open them, she's…" he looked up and gasped, "Valka!"

The chatter in the bar went quiet and heads turned from tables of conversation. Gobber slowly rose from his chair, next to Valka. He was not happy.

"Dagur," he almost growled, "did you try to kill Valka?"

The whole bar was silent, waiting for his answer. Dagur could see everyone's attention on him, and although he was seething on the inside – furious Valka had somehow gotten away – he smiled on the outside, raising his arms amicably.

"Valka!" he cheered, "Praise Odin! I've spent – gods know how long – trying to find you!" He approached, but Valka stood from her chair.

"You tried to kill me," she spat, pointing a threatening finger. "You left me to the wolves."

Dagur blinked as though shocked. "Wolves? It's one thing to rave about your delusions, but it's another to accuse me of attempted murder," he laughed.

Monsieur Jean slowly rose from his table. "Valka… do you have _any_ proof of what you're saying?" he asked, gently.

Valka nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I do have a witness. I met a woman who rescued me."

Many were surprised to hear this, including Dagur.

"Well, can you produce her?" Jean asked, raising an eyebrow.

Valka lowered her head. "She… doesn't live here in the village. She lives in the woods."

Dagur chuckled, pinching the bridge of his hooked nose. "So, let me get this straight. You'd hang your accusations on the testimony of a _filthy hag,_ who may or may not exist?"

Snotlout was doing his best to be invisible, but his efforts worked against him when Valka spotted him. "Snotlout was there. He saw it all."

Snotlout's face went pale. "M-Me?" he squeaked.

Dagur nodded. "You're right. Don't take my word for it!" he said loudly as he strode over to Snotlout and patted his shoulder. "Snotlout, my dearest companion. Did I… your oldest friend and most loyal compatriot, try to kill the mother of our dear Hiccup?"

Snotlout's mouth went dry. He gulped before stuttering, "W-Well, I mean, it's a complicated question on a number of accounts…" But one look in Dagur's eyes made Snotlout shake his head. "But no. No, he did not."

Dagur smirked and relaxed his grip on Snotlout's shoulder. But Valka wasn't happy.

"Why you…" she made to punch Dagur in the jaw, but he easily caught her hand.

Dagur shook his head in pity. "Oh, Valka… It pains me to say this, but you've become a danger to yourself and others. No wonder Hiccup ran away. You need help. A place to heal your troubled mind."

Valka's eyes went wide as the berserker nodded to Bone-Crusher, Dogsbreath the Duh-Brain, and Mildew. "Everything's going to be fine… Just fine…"


	20. Betrayal - Mala

**B &B –** **Chapter Eighteen: Betrayal 2**

 **Almost toward the finale! I'm so excited! I know this chapter is really short, but the next chapter is the one most of you have been waiting for. Don't worry, it's coming soon! I'm just working on the final tweaks. Thank you for your patience!**

Back on the mainland, it was raining in a down pour over the village. Mala and Ruffnut dismounted their steads and were heading into the bar.

"This is some storm, huh?" Ruffnut voiced loudly. "At least we're not tied to a tree in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by bloodthirsty wolves." Still Mala ignored her. Ruffnut pressed further, "You know it's not too late. We can always turn back…"

But the look Mala gave her made Ruffnut shut up.

They entered the bar and shook off the rain from their coats.

Ruffnut looked positively distraught. She hadn't gotten much sleep since the night in the woods. "It's just… every time I close my eyes, I picture Valka stranded alone. And then when I open them, she's…" she looked up and gasped, "Valka!"

The chatter in the bar went quiet and heads turned from tables of conversation. Gobber slowly rose from his chair, next to Valka. He was not happy.

"Mala," he almost growled, "did you try to kill Valka?"

The whole bar was silent, waiting for her answer. Mala could see everyone's attention on her, and although she was seething on the inside – furious Valka had somehow gotten away – she smiled on the outside, raising her arms amicably.

"Valka!" she cheered, "Praise Odin! I've spent – gods know how long – trying to find you!" She approached, but Valka stood from her chair.

"You tried to kill me," she spat, pointing a threatening finger. "You left me to the wolves."

Mala blinked as though shocked. "Wolves? It's one thing to rave about your delusions, but it's another to accuse me of attempted murder," she laughed.

Monsieur Jean slowly rose from his table. "Valka… do you have _any_ proof of what you're saying?" he asked, gently.

Valka nodded. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I do have a witness. I met a woman who rescued me."

Many were surprised to hear this, including Mala.

"Well, can you produce her?" Jean asked, raising an eyebrow.

Valka lowered her head. "She… doesn't live here in the village. She lives in the woods."

Mala chuckled, pinching the bridge of her hooked nose. "So, let me get this straight. You'd hang your accusations on the testimony of a _filthy hag,_ who may or may not exist?"

Ruffnut was doing her best to be invisible, but her efforts worked against her when Valka spotted her. "Ruffnut was there. She saw it all."

Ruffnut's face went pale. "M-Me?" she squeaked.

Mala nodded. "You're right. Don't take my word for it!" she said loudly as she strode over to Ruffnut and patted her shoulder. "Ruffnut, my dearest companion. Did I… your oldest friend and most loyal compatriot, try to kill the mother of our dear Hiccup?"

Ruffnut's mouth went dry. She gulped before stuttering, "W-Well, I mean, it's a complicated question on a number of accounts…" But one look in Mala's eyes made Ruffnut shake her head. "But no. No, she did not."

Mala smirked and relaxed her grip on Ruffnut's shoulder. But Valka wasn't happy.

"Why you…" she made to punch Mala in the jaw, but she easily caught her hand.

Mala shook her head in pity. "Oh, Valka… It pains me to say this, but you've become a danger to yourself and others. No wonder Hiccup ran away. You need help. A place to heal your troubled mind."

Valka's eyes went wide as the huntress nodded to Bone-Crusher, Dogsbreath the Duh-Brain, and Mildew. "Everything's going to be fine… Just fine…"


	21. Beauty and the Beast

**B &B –** **Chapter Seventeen: "Beauty and the Beast"***

 **Finally! The chapter you (probably) have been waiting for! I took inspiration from both movies for this iconic scene. I personally think Emma Thompson and Angela Lansbury both did a great job and I can't just pick one! But you'll get to imagine whichever one you want to hear. I hope you like it!**

"Well, I saw him in the ballroom and I said, 'You're making the place look beautiful. We should have a dance tonight.' I never thought he would actually say, ' _yes'!_ Oh gods! What was I _thinking?!"_ Astrid groaned, submerging her head under the water in the bathtub, partially hoping that she'd drown.

"No, no! My Lady, it will be perfect!" encouraged Ruffette, floating behind the screen. "The rose has only four petals left, so tonight you can tell Hiccup how you feel!"

Astrid remerged, dripping with water and gave her flattest scowl. "I _feel_ like an _idiot."_ She shook her head, reaching for her towel. "He will never love me."

"Do not be discouraged," said Ruffette, dodging falling water as Astrid shook off her wings and sat down in front of her vanity. "He is the one!"

"Would you stop saying that?" Astrid complained, "There is no 'one'."

"You care for him, don't you?" Ruffette asked.

"Well, I –" Astrid couldn't help but blush until she admitted it. "Okay fine! Yes! I care about him! I want him to be happy!" She buried her head in her arms on the vanity counter in embarrassment.

 _I want him to smile always_ , she thought to herself. _And I'd love it if he liked me back._

"Well then, woo him with beautiful music and romantic candlelight," said Ruffette. "And when the moment's just right…" the feather duster giggled.

Astrid's face flushed again. "But… how will I know?" she asked, looking up from her arms.

"You will feel slightly nauseous," yawned Malarobe.

Astrid sat back in her chair, looked herself in the vanity mirror and sighed heavily at her reflection.

"Don't worry, my dear. You'll do fine," said Mrs. Potts, hopping on the vanity counter. "Just stop being so nervous and tell Hiccup how you feel!"

Astrid bit her lip and tried to smile. "Okay. I'll do it."

…

"Why, Master! Don't you look dashing!" said Tuffwick with a laugh.

Hiccup turned around multiple times, staring at himself in the mirror. "Are you sure this is how it fits?" he asked, "I'm not really used to wearing these kinds of things." He tried tugging at the collar. "It feels… kinda tight."

"I assure you, sir, it's the right fit," said Cogslegs. "But there is still something missing."

"Oh no, what's _that?"_ Hiccup asked, a little afraid it would be something else he'd have to squeeze into. As it was, he could barely breathe with his diaphragm.

For the first time, Cogslegs gave a hearty chuckle. "It's just a simple cape. Nothing to be afraid of, Master."

"Speaking of which," said Hiccup, accepting the fur cape given to him from the coat stand. "Why are you suddenly calling me 'Master'? I told you, 'Hiccup' is just fine."

"Because tonight is special!" said Chip, excitedly. "We haven't had a ball in ages!"

"Quite right," said Cogslegs. "And… we wanted to show our appreciation to you."

"You know," Tuffwick picked up where the clock left off, "for saving our Lady's life and bearing with her after all this time."

"I wouldn't say that," Hiccup said with a little laugh, fastening the cape in place. "She's stubborn for sure, but… she's not terrible…"

…

Hiccup looked himself over once more in the mirror. This was by far the fanciest outfit he'd ever worn.

Hiccup wore a white tunic underneath a tight, broad-shouldered maroon vest; the collar still a little tight around his neck even as he pulled at it with his finger. Meanwhile, a thick leather belt circled around his waist and thick leather wrist bracers wrapped up his forearms up to his elbows. And below that, he wore olive-green trousers and a new pair of leather boots, (well, _boot_ ). Hanging over one shoulder hung a thick brown fur cape, almost covering his arm, the cord fastening the cape from his shoulder, tied across his chest and looping under his armpit. Although, Hiccup felt strange in the new getup, it wasn't quite as stuffy as he thought it would be. He supposed dancers had to breathe somehow.

He stood to one side of the grand staircase, trying to flatten his hair that refused to stay down. Why were they even bothering to dress up? It wasn't like they had to act for anyone else.

Hiccup glanced across the staircase and stared.

He never imagined seeing Astrid in a dress, and he didn't want to believe his eyes, but there she was. Her hair, for once, not in its braid, but hanging freely in long curls, cascading down her back.

Astrid wore a long and plain ocean-green frock dress, the hem brushing the floor. A very long maroon belt tied around her waist, the entire length studded with silver, and the extra slack left hanging at her hip. (Hiccup suspected it could also attach a sword sheath if need be.) A small shawl of white fur covered her shoulders and fastened to a large silver ring in front of her chest. She wore no jewelry. No earrings, no bracelets or rings. All she had was a simple leather choker matching the familiar studded leather circlet around her head. Although the whole outfit was simple, she still looked remarkably elegant. Definitely a woman that didn't need to compensate for her confidence with the way she dressed.

She, in turn, stared back at him.

They both stepped down the staircase to meet each other.

"I thought red was your color," she said, smiling at him.

He smirked and bowed to her. "Milady," he said, taking her arm.

He took her hand and she felt something like an electric pulse shoot up her arm. He looked into her eyes, seeming to silently ask if she was ready. Looking slightly up at him, she gently nodded, and they stepped down the grand staircase together.

Mrs. Potts smiled from afar and started to gently sing.

 _Tale as old as time_

 _True as it can be_

 _Barely even friends_

 _Then somebody bends_

 _unexpectedly_

 _Just a little change_

 _Small to say the least_

 _Both a little sacred_

 _Neither one prepared_

 _Beauty and the Beast_

Astrid stopped just inside the ballroom as though not sure what to do next. Hiccup drew closer and lifted her hand onto his shoulder, then gently put his other hand around her waist… pulling her closer to him…

Astrid could've pushed him away – the look in her eyes almost fearful – but she didn't say anything. She was simply letting him lead the way. For a moment, Hiccup was reminded of the time Astrid made him skate across the ice with her. Hiccup smiled.

"Don't look down. Look up at me, okay?" he said.

Her eyes went wide for a second, but then she smiled a little, realizing what he was remembering. "Okay," she answered with a nod. Then Hiccup gently led her to step into a waltz.

 _Ever just the same_

 _Ever a surprise_

 _Ever as before_

 _Ever just as sure_

 _As the sun will rise_

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Tune as old as song_

 _Bittersweet and strange_

 _Finding you can change_

 _Learning you were wrong_

 _Certain as the sun_

 _Rising in the east_

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Song as old as rhyme_

 _Beauty and the Beast_

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Song as old as rhyme_

 _Beauty and the Beast…_

The two walked out of the ballroom and breathed in the fresh evening air.

Astrid panted a little, hiking up her skirt so she could sit on the stone bench, "I… haven't danced in years! I almost forgot the feeling."

There was a peaceful silence between them as they gazed out at the night sky. The rose garden was lightly frosted in white snow, which glistened in the moonlight. Even the frozen lake was shining.

"It's beautiful," Hiccup said, looking up at the starry sky, his breath slightly steaming in the air.

Astrid looked out and nodded with him. She smiled a little. He did look very handsome in the moonlight. Then she bit her lip, blushing. "I'm glad that… that you came here," she said, hesitantly.

Hiccup glanced at her and nodded. "Well…" he bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to answer, "I'm… sort of glad I came here, too."

Astrid brightened. "Really?" she asked, looking at him. "Do… you think you could be happy here?"

Hiccup paused, his smile faltering, then answered with a question of his own, "Can anybody be happy if they aren't free?"

Astrid became quiet. She tried not to let his words hurt her – he obviously didn't mean to – but it _was_ the truth. He was still her prisoner, no matter how many liberties she gave him.

Changing the subject, Hiccup said, "My mom taught me to dance. I used to step on her toes a lot…"

"You must miss her," Astrid replied, comfortingly squeezing his hand.

Hiccup nodded, unable to hide his frown. "Very much."

Astrid bit her lip, thinking. Then her face brightened, and she asked, "Would you like to see her?"

…

She led him to the west wing, onto the balcony. Astrid carefully handed him the magic hand mirror. With simple instruction, Hiccup asked it, "I'd like to see my mother." At once the glass swirled and revealed Valka. But what Hiccup saw made him gasp.

"What is it?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup looked at her with worry written all over his face. "Something's happening! I don't know what, but she's in trouble! They – the villagers – They're carrying her away against her will!"

He clutched the mirror in his hands, wanting to tear his eyes away, but unable to. He started pacing the room. "W-What should I do?"

Astrid leaned against the table and gazed down at the rose. It looked so weak and withered already. It was going to die tonight. That much was certain. Now was her chance.

 _Just say it, Astrid! Say 'I love you'! End this curse for everyone_!

She opened her mouth… but she couldn't speak. Looking away, Astrid pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "Then… you must go to her."

Hiccup looked up at her, confused. "What did you say?"

Astrid turned to him and pretended to smile reassuringly. "You must go and save her! Be the hero, dummy!" she said, "There's no time to waste!"

Hiccup just looked dumbfounded.

She laughed and punched him lightly on the arm. "It's alright. Go! I officially release you from your promise."

Hiccup didn't know what to say.

He tried to give back the mirror, but Astrid pushed it back in his hands. "No, it's okay. You keep it. Then you'll always have a way to look back on me…"

Hiccup stared at her, taking slow steps backward.

 _This was it? Just like that? He could go? Why did he feel… slightly disappointed?_

All he could say was, "Thank you," before turning and running out the door.

Astrid watched him go, surprised to feel tears come to her eyes. As soon as he left the room, she immediately gripped the edge of the table to support herself. She felt like she could barely stand, her legs ready to give out from under her. She panted, feeling like there was a hole punched through her chest.

 _She did it. She couldn't believe she did it… She let him go… After everything… she gave it all up… but… did she do the right thing?_


	22. Evermore

**B &B –** **Chapter Twenty: "Evermore"***

 **NOTES: I really, really loved the inclusion of this song in the remake. I can't deny it. When I first heard it in the theater, my jaw hit the floor. I was so amazed! Finally! A solo from the Beast's perspective, summarizing his entire journey and how much Belle means to him! So, you can probably imagine how excited I was to write this chapter and finally get to post it. I hope you all like it just as much.**

It wasn't long after Hiccup had left the west wing that the servants decided to check up on the lady in her room. Seeing Hiccup was gone, they came in with wide smiles.

"Well, my Lady, I have had my doubts, but everything is moving like clockwork!" said Cogslegs happily. "True love really does win the day!"

Astrid sadly turned away, too ashamed to face them. "I let him go," she said softly.

"You _what?!_ " the clock cried, a few of his gears popping out of place from the stress.

"B-But, my Lady, how could you do that?!" Tuffwick exclaimed.

Astrid shrugged her shoulders. "I just had to."

"But why?!" Cogslegs cried.

Mrs. Potts looked up at the girl's face and nodded knowingly. "Because she loves him," she said calmly.

Astrid glanced out the window, the shadow of a smile crossing her lips.

 _Yes, I guess I truly do…_

Chip innocently chimed in, "But if she loves him, then why aren't we human again?"

Astrid's shoulders slumped, her smile gone as she closed her eyes. She knew why. Cogslegs, of course, took it upon himself to explain. "Because he obviously doesn't love her in return, otherwise we'd finally be free… Now, it's too late."

"But he might still come back," said Ruffette, still hopeful.

Astrid shook her head. "No. I set him free. That's all that matters…"

She took a moment to breathe and then turned to all of them. "I'm sorry, everyone," she said, sorrowfully. "I wish I could do the same for you… But let me take this chance while I have you all here. I never officially apologized for everything I put you through… I know I can't ask you to forgive me, but, I want to thank you all for your undying belief in me after all these years."

Her eyes gravitated to Mrs. Potts the most for that last sentence. The teapot nodded in return. "However, it seems like this is the end of Hofferson castle. Please, go. You are relieved of your duties. Be with your loved ones… I wish to be alone."

Seeing there was no arguing with her, the servants all left one by one, heading out the door. Tuffwick was hugging Ruffette as they walked out. Cogslegs followed, motioning for Chip and everyone else to leave. Mrs. Potts was the last one left. Astrid didn't need to turn around to know this. She could hear the absence of Mrs. Potts's tinkling china.

"Please give my best to Chip," Astrid muttered, "I wish him pleasant dreams…"

…

Astrid stood alone in the west tower, leaning on the table that held the enchanted rose. Here she was, all alone again. A heavy weight seemed to push down on her, and yet… What was this feeling, twisting and eating away inside her? It wasn't like when she was alone and was fighting not to get angry. This was something different, even deeper, _stronger_ , than guilt. Or shame. Or fear. Or sadness.

Her gaze drifted toward the torn painting of her portrait. One of her cold blue eyes stared back at her. Such a cruel and scary look. Did she still look like that now?

No… she was different now. She knew that because _he_ made her smile. But still…

Maybe she would've been better off without ever knowing him. Maybe things would've been better if she'd never gotten everyone's hopes up. If only… If only…

Moving across the room, she stood in front of one of her shields, sadly looking at the axe she used to wield. Now, covered in dust and slightly rusted with age. She didn't know how to feel right now. Being alone should've been a familiar comfort, but not this time... How could she describe this tearing inside her? It hurt so much, but, somehow, deep down it felt nice and warm too. What was wrong with her?! How did everything go so very wrong?

 _I was the one who had it all_

 _I was the master of my fate_

 _I never needed anybody in my life_

 _I learned the truth too late…_

 _I'll never shake away the pain_

 _I close my eyes but he's still there_

 _I let him steal into my melancholy heart_

 _It's more than I can bear…_

She turned and tentatively approached the open window. Leaning against it, she could see Hiccup down in the courtyard, taking off on Toothless. The dragon flapped his wings, rapidly rising, the red of Hiccup's vest growing smaller and smaller in the distance. If only the boy even knew…

 _Now I know he'll never leave me_

 _Even as he runs away_

 _He will still torment me_

 _Calm me, hurt me_

 _Move me_

 _Come what may…_

 _Wasting in my lonely tower_

 _Waiting by an open door…_

 _I'll fool myself he'll walk right in_

 _And be with me for evermore…_

Astrid bit her lip and tightly clenched her fists, at once turning away to climb ever higher up the stairs of the tower. She was determined to see him off for as long as possible. With each step she took, she felt the wind almost pushing her along, encouraging her, billowing through her dress, tossing her hair around her face. Even as she boldly walked across the roof.

 _I rage against the trials of love!_

 _I curse the fading of the light!_

 _Though he's already flown so far beyond my reach_

 _He's never out of sight!_

Despite all the pain she felt, a smile still fought its way on her lips.

 _Now I know he'll never leave me!_

 _Even as he fades from view!_

 _He will still inspire me_

 _Be a part_

 _of everything I do…_

 _Wasting in my lonely tower_

 _Waiting by an open door…_

She reached the last step at the top of the highest tower and stopped to breathe, feeling a twinge of dread. This was as far as she could go. This was good-bye. Even if her wings couldn't take her to him, her heart wanted to soar after him.

She looked out at the star-studded sky, where Hiccup disappeared, beyond the horizon, where she knew he'd truly be happy, tears stinging her eyes.

 _I'll fool myself he'll walk right in…_

 _And as the long, long nights begin…_

 _I'll think of all that might have been…_

 _Waiting here for evermore!_


	23. The Mob Song

**B &B – Chapter Twenty-one: "The Mob Song"* **

**I actually wrote these last few chapters very early on, and I couldn't help but imagine Dagur as he slowly unravels to insanity. He is such a joy to write, but the only tricky part is trying to give him the right motivation to obsess over Hiccup that fits with his character.**

 **Does he want to marry Hiccup? But if so, then why wouldn't he more readily notice Snotlout's affections for him? Dagur's insane, but not delusional. And even he would realize that a relationship with Hiccup wouldn't work if Hiccup is heterosexual. Well, what if Dagur wants Hiccup to marry Heather? But then Heather can't be the enchantress. (Argh! So frustrating!)**

 **So, I'm really sorry for you Mala fans (I treasure all your input!) but the rest of this story is going to be just Dagur, because it would be really redundant of me to post two of every chapter from here on out. This doesn't necessarily mean that I've made my final decision! I just really wanted to share with you all what I originally wrote. I hope you enjoy anyway! Mala would more or less do exactly the same things anyway. (Plus, this way there aren't two Ruffnuts.) Thank you!**

"This woman is weak! Please, all of you! She needs a healer, not an asylum!" shouted Gobber over the crowd. But nobody seemed to hear him.

They threw Valka in the back of the wagon, and Dagur leered down at her, holding the doors open. "Have you ever seen the inside of a mad house, Valka? You wouldn't last a week. Just give me your permission to have my sister marry your son, and I'll set you free."

Valka narrowed her eyes and snorted, "Never."

Eye twitching, Dagur angrily slammed the doors shut and bolted the padlock. "Take her away!" he called to the driver.

Just as the wagon was about to turn the corner, Toothless flew in, cutting the wagon off. Hiccup cried from atop his dragon, "Stop!"

The driver abruptly pulled back on the reins, halting the wagon before it would crash into them. The wagon horses whinnied and reared by the sudden jerk, but Hiccup wasted no time, leaping off Toothless and dodging their wheeling hooves as he ran to the back of the wagon.

"Mom! Mom!" he shouted.

Valka immediately perked up at the sound of his voice. "Hiccup? Hiccup!" She came to the barred window and had the biggest smile in the world. "Oh, Hiccup! My boy! I thought I lost you!"

Hiccup, however, couldn't return the smile for he was appalled by how disheveled and exhausted she looked. The mirror didn't do her justice. She looked even worse than when he found her in the castle tower's cell. He turned on the wagon driver, pleading, "Let her out! She's hurt!"

The driver answered in a dull groan like he had heard these excuses many times before, "We can't do that, boy, but we'll take very good care of her."

Hiccup shouted, "My mother isn't crazy! Dagur, tell him!"

But Dagur shook his head. "You know how loyal I am to your family, but your mother's been making some unbelievable claims."

"It's true, Hiccup," said a man that stepped forward. It was Monsieur Jean. "She's been raving about a beast in a castle!"

"I just came from the castle and there _is_ a beast!" Hiccup shouted.

Dagur snickered, "You'd say anything to set her free. Your word is hardly proof!"

"You want proof?" Hiccup seethed, then looked down at the mirror still clutched in his hand. He knew he had to take the chance. There was no time to second guess his plan. He couldn't think of anything else that would convince them otherwise. "Show me the Beast!"

The glass swirled and revealed Astrid's face. Hiccup held out the mirror to show them. Everyone shrieked in alarm, those closest jumped back as Hiccup leveled the mirror closer to them. "There's your proof," he stated.

Dagur, too, was struck with alarm. He ripped the mirror out of Hiccup's hands to inspect the magical looking-glass for himself. "This is sorcery!" he determined. "Look at this beast!" he shouted to the crowd. "Look at her fangs! Her claws!"

Again, everyone jumped back in fear as he wielded the mirror closer to them.

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Hiccup said, trying to calm the crowd. "She's not a monster! She's thoughtful and kind and one of the bravest people I've ever met!"

Dagur slowly turned and leveled a suspicious gaze on Hiccup. "The monster has him under her _spell!_ If I didn't know better, I'd say he even _cared_ for her!"

Hiccup glared at the Berserker, and seethed, "She's not a monster, Dagur. _You are!"_ He looked out at the crowd, hoping to find a friendly face. "I swear, she has no reason to hurt anyone!"

Dagur shook his head in disgust. "I've heard of the effects of dark magic, but I've never before seen it with my own eyes! This is a threat to our very existence!" He shouted to the crowd. A few members shouted back a cheer of agreement with his statement. "We can't have him running off to warn the beast. Lock him up, too," Dagur ordered.

A pair of men grabbed Hiccup's arms and lifted him in the air.

"What?! No! Let me go!" Hiccup yelled as they threw him in the back of the wagon. "You've got it all wrong!" He lunged as they closed the doors in his face. "Open up! Open up, damn it! Dagur! You won't get away with this!"

Toothless roared in rebellion as soon as Hiccup cried out, but the villagers were very quick to grab chains and lassoed the Night Fury's jaws shut, his limbs together, and tethering him fast to the ground.

Seizing his chance, Snotlout put a hand on Dagur's shoulder and whispered, "Um, Dagur, with all due respect –"

Dagur turned on him, eyes burning like coals. "Do you want to be next?" he snarled.

Snotlout stared, wide eyed, too terrified to speak.

Dagur snapped, "Then fetch my horse!" leaving Snotlout too stunned to do as he was told.

Then the Berserker hauled himself to stand on top of the wagon to address the crowd. "This creature will curse us all if we don't stop her!" The crowd hollered back in agreement. "Are we just going to sit here and do nothing?" he barked. The crowd shouted back even louder.

Then Dagur bellowed, "Well, I say, we KILL THE BEAST!" And the air was filled with the deafening battle cries of dozens of bloodthirsty Vikings.

 _We're not safe until she's dead!_

 _She'll come stalking us at night!_

 _Set to sacrifice our children to her monstrous appetite!_

 _She'll wreak havoc on our village if we let her wander free!_

Dagur grabbed a torch and threw it on a bale of straw.

 _So, it's time to take some action, boys!_

 _It's time… to… follow… me!_

He jumped up on the fountain and raised his arms, his shadow dancing menacingly.

 _Through the mist, through the wood_

 _Through the darkness and the shadows_

 _It's a nightmare, but it's one exciting ride…_

 _Say a prayer then we're there_

 _At the drawbridge of a castle_

 _And there's truly something terrible inside…_

 _It's a beast!_

 _She's got fangs, razor-sharp ones!_

 _Massive jaws, killer claws for the feast!_

 _Hear her roar! See her foam!_

 _But we're not coming home 'til she's dead!_

 _Good and dead!_

 _Kill the beast!_

Hiccup watched in horror as all the villagers started trading around their hammers, axes, maces, swords and spears. Boys even younger than him were handing out shields and torches with a mad air of excitement.

That young boy Hiccup had tried to teach to read was being forcibly fitted into a helmet two sizes too big for him.

Even if Hiccup didn't always get along with these people, they were never truly his enemy. But now, they had never looked this threatening before. All of their eyes were burning with bloodlust in the fires of the torches. And, of course, at the center of it all was Dagur, riding atop his stead with a menacing-looking axe and a crossbow on his back.

 _Light your torch,_

 _Mount your horse._

" _Screw your courage to the sticking place!"_ Dagur called.

" _We're counting on Dagur to lead the way!"_ the villagers called back.

Dagur sneered to himself, his eyes glinting in the torchlight.

 _Call it war! Call it threat!_

 _You can bet they all will follow_

 _For in times like this they'll do just as I say!_

Snotlout was not far behind on his own stead, but he wasn't as excited as he normally would be to ride next to Dagur. Despite what everyone thought about him, he wasn't an idiot. And he had a very bad feeling about all this.

 _There's a beast running wild, there's no question,_

 _But I fear the wrong monster's released…_

The villagers marched on to the beat.

 _Sally forth! Tally ho!_

 _Grab your sword! Grab your bow!_

 _Praise Odin and here we go!_

Dagur pulled his stead to a stop at the edge of the forest. He took out the mirror and spat at it, "Show me the castle." Without question, the mirror revealed the magnificent castle and the path that would lead them there.

…

Meanwhile, back at the castle, many of the servants decided to spend their remaining hours in the ballroom, the place that started it all.

"At least our Lady learned to love," sighed Tuffwick as he danced with Ruffette in his arms.

Cogslegs groaned nearby, "A lot of good that does us if he doesn't love her in return."

Mrs. Potts shook her head. "No, but this was the first time I've had any real hope," she sighed. "I still can't believe he would just leave…"

A distant whinny could be heard outside. Chip pipped up, "Did you hear that, Mama? Is it him? Is he coming back?"

All the other servants rushed to the window with Chip. "Could it be?"

But then Tuffwick gasped, recognizing the massive, red, sinister glow as it approached the castle. "Sacre' bleu! Invaders!"

 _We don't like what we don't understand,_

 _In fact, it scares us_

 _And this monster is mysterious at least_

 _Bring your shields, bring your knives_

 _Save your children and your wives_

 _We'll save our village and our lives_

 _We'll kill the beast!_

Cogslegs was quick to take charge. "Hurry now! Man the barricades and hold fast! We must defend the castle!"

Tuffwick, too, cried, "I can't think of a better way than to go out defending my home! Are you with me?"

"Not without me, you're not!" Ruffette cried.

Every one of the servants resounded the battle cry and rushed about preparing for what they knew to be their final stand. Even the harpsicord plodded out from the ballroom.

"Move aside!" he said bravely, "I won't let them pass!" and he, too, joined the group of furniture pinning themselves against the front door.

 _Hearts ablaze, banners high_

 _We go marching into battle_

 _Unafraid although the danger's just increased!_

Outside, the mob had nearly approached the front castle steps. On the shoulders of six strong men, they carried a large battering ram. The rest of the villagers moved aside for them.

 _Raise the flag, sing the song_

 _Here we come, we're fifty strong_

 _And fifty Vikings can't be wrong!_

 _Let's kill the beast!_

 _Kill the beast!_

 _Kill the beast!_

Over and over again the villagers smashed the battering ram against the door, the wood splintering marginally more and more with each blow.

"This isn't working!" cried Mrs. Potts, staying close to her son.

"We need help!" exclaimed Cogslegs, hurrying as fast as his little legs could carry him up the grand staircase. They needed their warrior princess at the helm.

…

Miles away, back in the village, Hiccup gripped the bars of the wagon's tiny window. "I need to get out of here! I need to warn her!" he exclaimed in frustration.

Never before had Hiccup felt so stupid. Of course, Dagur took control of the situation! Knowing him, he really could live up to his word and murder Astrid in cold blood! The image of Astrid's dead body lying under Dagur's boot was enough to make Hiccup kick violently at the wagon's locked doors. They didn't give, much to his frustration, and he went back to pacing.

Valka had been watching her son pace back and forth impatiently for the last fifteen minutes but was still very confused by his behavior. "Warn her? How did you get _away_ from her?!" she asked.

Hiccup momentarily stopped his pacing and knelt in front of her. "Mom, I know this sounds crazy, but the beast is not what we thought. In truth, Astrid released me a long time ago –"

"Astrid?"

"– but I stayed by my own choice! I promised that I'd help break this curse on the castle and all the servants there –"

"Hiccup, I don't understand," she said, shaking her head.

He stopped and bit his lip. How could he get her to understand? There was just too much that had happened that couldn't be conveyed in a short story. At that moment, he felt something in his breast pocket. Oh yeah, that's right.

Hiccup took out of his breast pocket the little stuffed dragon toy from their house in Berk. Valka's eyes immediately widened.

"Where did… Where did you get this?" she asked in surprise.

"She _took_ me there," Hiccup answered. He stopped and bit his lip, his stomach growing cold. He swallowed before saying, "I know what happened to Dad."

Valka's face saddened to know this. Her hand moved to touch his face, but she stopped herself, perhaps out of guilt. "Then… you know why I had to leave him there. I had to protect you. I've always tried to protect my little boy." She shrugged and added, "Probably a little _too_ much."

Reaching down, Hiccup took her hand from her lap, squeezing it. "I _understand,_ " he stated, his eyes meeting hers with great sincerity. And he meant it. For the first time, Hiccup felt like he really understood his mother. She always did everything with him in mind and that had not changed in the slightest after all these years.

Valka put her other hand on top of Hiccup's hand around the little toy. For a moment, they touched foreheads together, their hands squeezing a little tighter around the toy dragon in their grip.

Gently pulling away, Hiccup looked up at his mother. "Will you help me now?" he asked.

Valka looked outside the wagon with worry. "It's dangerous," she whispered.

Hiccup nodded. "Yes. _Yes, it is."_

Valka looked into her son's eyes. Maybe it was the way they glinted in the torchlight, but they weren't just 'Hiccup-green' anymore. They were strong and fierce eyes. _Fearless eyes…_

Valka smiled proudly. The memory of the man she loved still glowed brightly in her heart. And now she saw, too, in their son.

"We could try to pick the lock," she suggested, patting her clothes and looking around the wagon. "After all, it's only gears and springs. Although, I would need something long and…" she stopped, seeing a large shadow appear in the barred window.

"Need a hand?" said a familiar Scottish voice.


	24. Final Stand

**B &B – Chapter Twenty-two: "Final Stand"* **

**These next fight scene chapters were a bit difficult to write, but I hope they were worth the wait! How will our heroes win the day? Dagur vs. Astrid NEXT!**

High in her tower chamber, off the west wing, Astrid was slowly stirred from her sleep. Somehow, she had fallen asleep sitting and looking out her window. She felt lost in a daze, sluggishly shaking her head. Then her eyes caught sight of the bright blaze of torchlight glowing red outside her window. She gasped as she looked down outside.

"Invaders…" she whispered in disbelief. "But why would Vikings be attacking _here?"_

"My Lady!" Cogslegs cried as he waddled into her room. He momentarily fell flat on his face and struggled to pick himself up. "Please, excuse me, my Lady. I'm so sorry to disturb you –"

"What's going on?" Astrid demanded, wide awake now, already moving toward her weapons closet.

"They're breaking down the doors!" Cogslegs frantically cried, getting right to the point.

Astrid opened the double doors and looked up at her proud Viking armor from her war days. "Madame Malarobe! Help me fit into my armor!" she called.

The wardrobe had heard all the commotion and waddled into the room with excited steps. "Yes, my Lady! At once!" she sang.

"But what are your orders, my Lady? How shall we draw them back?" Cogslegs asked, flinching at the sound of each new smash against the front door down below, sure that it would break down at any moment.

Astrid smirked at him, in a way that he had only seen when she was in battle mode and had the perfect strategy in mind. "We won't. Let them come."

…

The word was soon spread throughout the castle and everything was set. Outside, the villagers' cheering grew louder and louder with each smash against the door.

"Kill the beast! Kill the beast!" they roared. "Kill the bea – whoa!" but their yells were soon cut off as the front doors suddenly burst open on their own. A few men tripped and fell forward with the momentum of the heavy battering ram.

The interior was dark and seemingly empty. Slowly, Dagur led the group inside. They spread out around the foyer, silently admiring the place.

Snotlout crept up beside Dagur. "Are you not the least bit concerned that this castle might be haunted?" he asked, his voice squeaking a little.

Dagur only focused down at the mirror in his hand. He had a different prize in mind. "Don't lose you nerve, Snothat," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"This place seems… familiar," said Monsieur Jean. "Like I've been here before." A few of the other villagers nodded in agreement.

Snotlout approached a lone cart, which atop sat a teapot and a teacup. He smiled, laughing to himself. "Why hello! You must be the talking teacup." Then he turned to the teapot. "And you must be his grandmother."

Mrs. Potts's eyes snapped open as she gasped. " _Grandmother?!_ Attack!" she cried.

At once, lights went on and everywhere the villagers looked, pieces of furniture suddenly sprang to life, coming at them in hoards. Chairs scooped up unsuspecting occupants and booted them out of the castle through a nearby window. Torch brackets whacked down on any human that came within their reach. Feather dusters blew dust in peoples' faces, blinding them, while footrests ran and tripped people to fall on their tailbones.

Reacting quickly, Dagur grabbed Snotlout and pushed him between himself and an angry coat stand, holding up its dukes like a boxer. Poor Snotlout was punched repeatedly in the face until he was knocked silly. Then he was pushed in the path of a falling harpsicord.

"Dagur!" he squealed as he cried. The instrument fell, pinning him to the floor. Snotlout looked pleadingly up at Dagur. "H-Help me," he croaked.

Dagur merely shrugged and shook his head. "Sorry, old friend," he said, not sorry at all. "It's hero time."

And the Berserker turned, checking the mirror once more before heading up the staircase.

…

Back in the village, the wagon driver came back from his break and noticed the wagon doors were slightly ajar. He rushed forward, opening them and finding the inside empty. He closed them in frustration, but then jumped in shock, seeing Valka leaning against the wagon.

"Oh, hello," she said, nonchalantly.

Before the driver could react, he was whacked upside the head from behind. The man fell, revealing Hiccup to be the culprit. He reattached his metal leg and helped his mom stuff the driver in the back of the wagon.

Gobber made quick work of the chains fastening Toothless to the ground. He patted Hiccup on the shoulder. "I'll look after your mother, lad," he assured him, "You do what you have to."

Hiccup nodded and turned to his mom. She looked worried and he gave her one last tight hug.

"Once this is all over, I'll explain everything," he said, "And I _will_ come back, I promise."

He made to pull away and mount Toothless, but Valka grabbed his arm, making him stop. He looked back at her. She smiled tightly, her eyes misting.

"Your father would be so proud of you," she said, squeezing his hand.

Hiccup's mouth went dry for a second and he nodded, a tear pricking his eye. "Thanks, Mom."

Then she let him go and he hopped on Toothless's back.

"Come on!" Hiccup yelled, clicking his peg leg into place loudly. Toothless roared in response and took off, tearing into the sky.

…

Chip was kicking out a pile of dishes beneath him and sending them flying like clay pigeons. He counted all of his hits aloud, "One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six…"

"Nice shot, Chip!" Cogslegs chuckled from the banister above the grand staircase. "Oh good. The infantry has arrived."

Madame Malarobe came down the hallway with a table full of library books. Cogslegs pulled out his pendulum and brandished it like a war hammer. "Now, go and teach them a lesson!" he ordered, greatly enjoying his new position of command. The books swooped down, divebombing from the top of the staircase and whacking people on the head. "Yes! Those are called books, you third rate bullies!" he taunted.

Then Mildew, Bone-Crusher, and Dogs-breath simultaneously glared up at the clock. Cogslegs immediately regretted voicing his sudden newfound bravery. "Oh dear."

But before they could lunge at the clock, Madame Malarobe laughed, jumping in the bullies' path. "Oh ho! Come here, little boys!" Her drawers suddenly flew open and enveloped the three men in rolls and rolls of fabric. "Yes, pretty little boys. Yes!" By the time she was done, the three men were dressed in very frilly and very big poofy dresses. Mildew and Bone-Crusher screamed at each other and ran off, but Dogs-breath didn't seem to mind at all. He smiled and sauntered off, happy with his new look. "Go! Be free! Be free!" Malarobe sang.

…

Hiccup flew over the woods, pushing Toothless as fast as he could go. The wind blowing in his face suddenly grew bitterly cold and snowflakes flew around them. They were getting close.

…

Madame Malarobe tossed Mrs. Potts in the air and she hooked her handle on the chandelier. "How do you like your tea?" she yelled at the people below. "Piping hot? Or boiling?" She sprayed the scalding water out her spout. Many people dispersed to avoid the water, although a couple slipped in the puddle on the floor. Then Mrs. Potts suddenly stopped, recognizing a man below. "Mr. Potts?!" Distracted, her handle suddenly slipped from the chandelier and she screamed as she fell.

"Mama!" Chip cried out.

Just as Mrs. Potts expected to shatter on the floor, a pair of firm hands caught her at the last moment. "Why, thank you!" she exclaimed, looking up at the equally surprised face of Snotlout.

Before he could reply, he ducked as a pair of men clashed hammer and sword over his head against each other in the confusion. Mrs. Potts snuck in a blast of hot water at one man's face, while Snotlout gave a mean right hook to the other.

"Nicely handled!" Mrs. Potts complimented him.

Snotlout shrugged. "I know, I used to be on Dagur's side, but we are _so_ in a bad place right now."

She shook her head sympathetically. "You're too good for him anyway."

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Should we get back to it, then?" she asked.

…

Meanwhile, the harpsicord pushed back a row of men, playing his music merrily away. "Ha ha! Stand back you ruffians!" he taunted.

A particularly fierce looking woman pointed her axe at the musical instrument. "Silence that harpsicord!" she cried.

Hearing this, Madame Malarobe cried out from atop the balcony fronting the grand staircase. "Maestro!"

Hearing her, the harpsicord cried back, "Darling! At last!"

"I'm coming, my love!" she shouted, climbing atop the banister. "This is it! The fat lady is singing! _LaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"_ she sang her operatic note before leaping. She fell nearly two stories down, breaking her wooden legs in the process, but managed to throw back the fierce looking woman who threatened her husband.

"Bravissima!" the harpsicord cried. Inspired by her sacrifice, he cocked out his piano keys and shot them out like a Gatling gun. Many people had to cover their faces from the fast-flying keys.

The twins were, of course, enjoying the chaos. "Ha ha!" Tuffwick laughed, "Watch your toes!" He lit up a line of gunpowder that Ruffette had swept into place, sparkling across the floor. The last remaining villagers shrieked and hopped from one foot to the other as they hurried out the front door. "That's right! Go! Go!"

None of them even realized that one cloaked figure had snuck through the crowd and calmly headed up the stairs, following the path Dagur took.

Cogslegs brandished his pendulum-hammer once more. "And stay out!"


	25. Beasts Clash - part I

**B &B – Chapter Twenty-three: "Beasts Clash" – part I ***

 **A few quick notes: Fair warning! These upcoming chapters will have blood, violence, and some adult language sprinkled in. Just saying… And I'm really, really sorry for the wait, but I worked extra hard on these fight scenes and figured you all would appreciate both parts being released together.**

 **This has been such an amazing journey! We're almost near the end! Thank you all so much! Over 11 thousand views and still climbing! My brain just can't process it! It means a lot that my first full-length fanfic ever posted means so much to people out there. It's you readers that make this story awesome!**

Huge clouds started rolling in and the sky grew very dark. Thunder rumbled overhead while Dagur silently crept deeper into the castle, keeping a sharp wit about him. He always peeked before rounding corners and was wary of the dark looming shadows that Thor's lightning made dance on the stone walls.

He stepped down a corridor when a voice spoke from the darkness. "Who are you, who dares to invade my home?"

Dagur looked around, sneering at the shadows. "I'm Dagur," he replied, turning on the spot. "Am I to assume you're the 'thoughtful and kind' beast of this castle?"

Astrid didn't answer, but blinked in surprise, recognizing the name of the Berserker from Hiccup's stories. "So, _you're_ Dagur," she said. Then she scoffed, "Funny. I expected more."

Dagur jumped a little, whirling on the spot as she leapt out of the shadows, standing tall at the opposite end of the dark corridor. Her armor glinted almost devilishly in the light, even if it only somewhat properly fitted around her beastly frame.

"Leader to leader, I am giving you this one chance," she said in her sternest royal voice, "Take your men and leave this place. Or my loyal servants will be allowed to do their worst."

Although Dagur was intimidated to finally lay eyes on her presence, his shoulders shook as he laughed at her, "What? Those trinkets you bewitched? I am not afraid of silverware and china!"

Another fork of lightning flashed through the tall corridor windows. Astrid raised in eyebrow in confusion at the Berserker's response but shook her head. "You can believe whatever you want, but I won't ask again. Leave this place for your own good. I have no business with you."

Dagur smirked. "Oh, I disagree. I do have business here." He reached behind his back and gripped his menacing axe. He brought it up to his lips and licked the edge of the blade, ravenously. "I want your head mounted on my wall!"

Dagur ran and swung his axe at her, but Astrid was faster, narrowly dodging within a hair's breadth. This was all familiar territory for her, even if her beastly form forced her to fight without a human weapon. She dodged out of Dagur's reach, bobbing and weaving as she studied him like her father taught her.

 _Stay in control, Astrid. The fight is yours, but only if you stay in control. Not one misstep out of place…_

Then she thought of something and smirked a little.

"What's the matter?" she taunted, twisting her head to the side. "I thought you'd be better than Hiccup at this!"

She smiled as his eye twitched. Just as she thought.

Giving a loud cry, Dagur made a wild leap at her. Reacting quickly, Astrid spun and whipped her tail across his stomach, shoving him a good distance away. He knelt down, clutching his side for a moment, then glared darkly at her and stood back up.

They started to circle each other, both narrowing their eyes, just waiting for the other to strike first. Looking at him, Astrid couldn't help but feel somewhat… _apprehensive_ about this man. It wasn't that he was taller and had thick muscles that had obviously been honed for battle. No, it was the way his eyes looked her up and down, reminding her of a wolf hungrily setting his sights on his prey. Then he started chuckling to himself.

"What?" she snapped at him. "What's so funny?"

Dagur waved his hand, trying to compose himself. "Sorry, it's just… I mean, the idea is so ridiculous, even for me! I mean, it _can't_ be true!"

"What?" she snarled.

He tilted his head at her sideways, almost with a look of pity. "Are you… in love with Hiccup?"

The question came out of nowhere and took Astrid by surprise. Her eyes widened and Dagur almost burst out laughing. "Are you serious?! I was right?! But, I mean, come on!" He tossed his hand at her physique. "Did you seriously believe that he would want to be with you?"

Astrid opened her mouth but closed it again. The image of Hiccup flying away from the castle flashed across her memory again without her consent. She gave no reply, a knife secretly twisting inside her heart.

Dagur answered, "No… of course he wouldn't. But, then again, his crazy mother probably passed it on to him. I mean, why else would he want a horrid monster like you?"

Screwing up her face, Astrid lunged, roaring as she bared her fangs at him. Dagur nimbly rolled out of the way of her teeth and pulled out his axe. He swung down at her face, but she jumped back and lunged at him again. This time she whipped her spiked tail and managed to scratch his arm.

But Dagur merely laughed at the little cut, "Is that the best you can do?"

He charged again, swinging his axe left and right, but Astrid dodged them all with ease. She even leapt onto the wall, digging her talons in the stone, and glared down at him.

They fought for a while, exchanging stalemating blows, Dagur aggressively pushing Astrid farther and farther down the corridor of the west wing. She was hoping the fight would eventually tire him out, but the more he missed, the more impatient and determined he seemed to get.

Then Astrid saw her moment of opportunity. The instant right after his down swing, she leapt at the man, wrestling the axe out of his hand, twisting his arm behind his back and pinning him against the wall.

"There, I've won," she said, panting slightly. "Now, if you've got any balls like a real man, I suggest you surrender with honor before I break your arm," she threatened.

But to her surprise, the Berserker chuckled at her yet again. "Such strong talk, Beast, but you and I both know better."

Without warning, he elbowed her sharply in the stomach. Astrid gasped but had no time to recover. Dagur twisted out of her grip and, with unexpected strength, he grabbed a catch in her armor and threw her across the corridor, busting through the door to her room.

Astrid collided against her wall and crashed against the vanity, littering the floor with large broken mirror shards. For a moment, the world went black, but the pain of glass in her shoulder forced her back to consciousness.

Her whole body ached from the impact, yet she fought to pick herself off the floor, trying to ignore her dizziness. Dagur sneered down at her as he stepped inside, walking as though he owned the place, cracking his knuckles.

"You're just all talk, Beast. I have to say, I'm kind of disappointed. I was expecting more – you know – _ferocity! Deadliness!_ A _true_ beast worthy to be the centerpiece on my wall! But…" Dagur sighed, shaking his head. "It's sad, really. You seem like you've trained for so long. You could've probably been the greatest warrior ever – I mean, besides me, of course," he snickered, "But you let Little Hiccup get to you, didn't you? Even though he doesn't want you…"

Astrid tried to ignore him, but his voice seemed to echo inside her head, making it harder and harder to get back up. Then she glanced down at the floor, and her eyes caught her reflection in the broken mirror shards. She silently clenched her fists tight, but Dagur took no notice.

"So sorry your little head games don't work on me. But that pathetic loser isn't my weakness," Dagur sneered down at her, "He is yours –"

Astrid loudly punched the floor with her fist, interrupting him. The room was silent for a minute. Dagur raised an eyebrow and watched as she shakily fought to stand, swaying on her feet, her head bowed low, her hair falling partially over her face. "Y-you're wrong…" she said, barely above a whisper.

Behind her back, out of Dagur's view, her other hand drifted, reaching out for an old friend. She almost wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. "You're _so wrong_ …"

She slowly looked up and met Dagur's judging eyes, grinning crookedly despite how pathetic and weak she knew she looked. Her hand clenched tightly around the familiar wooden handle and a warm feeling seemed to flood up her arm. She shook her head, panting, "Hiccup… is not… _my weakness!"_

Faster than the blink of an eye, Astrid grabbed her old axe, wrenching it from the wall and threw it across the room, aiming straight at Dagur's head. Dagur's eyes went wide as he ducked, but not quite fast enough. The blade skimmed just over the top of his head, slicing his scalp, leaving a large cut that bled into his eye, half blinding him.

Dagur clutched his face and cried in agony, but by the time he looked back where Astrid was, she was gone.

He screamed in rage, grabbing a nearby dresser and throwing it to the floor. "YOU BITCH! GET BACK HERE! I AM GOING TO RIP YOU TO PIECES!"

…

Just outside the castle, Hiccup landed Toothless in the courtyard amidst all the panicked villagers running about. No one hardly paid him any attention as most of them were too busy screaming and running in retreat away from the castle.

Hiccup tried to push his way through the crowd, but then suddenly ran into someone and they both tripped and fell down. Hiccup shook his head and looked up in surprise. "Snotlout?!"

"Hiccup?!" Snotlout gasped. "W-What are you doing here?" he cried in alarm, quickly pulling Hiccup to his feet. "You better get out of here! This place is crazy right now!"

"I know! But where is Dagur?" Hiccup asked sharply, pulling Snotlout's focus.

"H-He went up the staircase!" he answered, pointing. "I – I tried to stop him, but he's gone insane!"

Hiccup looked where Snotlout pointed. _Oh no. The west wing…_

Without hesitation, Hiccup's fingers unknotted the cord across his chest and he tossed his fur cape into Snotlout's arms.

"Wait, what are you –? Hiccup!"

Before Snotlout or Toothless could stop him, Hiccup fought his way through the angry mob, ignoring their startled cries calling after him.

Hiccup held no resentment toward their concern for him, but he knew this was something he had to do. He couldn't keep depending on others to fight his battles for him. And if not to help others, then to at least stand up for himself.

He bobbed and weaved between people and furniture alike. The chaos in the foyer was incredible.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called as he ran up the grand staircase. He could barely hear himself over the shouts of fighting. "Astrid, where are you? Astrid!"


	26. Beasts Clash - part II

**B &B – Chapter Twenty-four: "Beasts Clash" – part II ***

 **P.S. I snuck in a little Mala part for you Mala fans. ;D Enjoy! And stay tuned for the rest of the story!**

Astrid did her best to breathe silently, despite her pounding heart. The last thing she needed was for Dagur to find her out here. After tricking him, she had retreated behind the curtain to her balcony. He was still inside, loudly screaming in rage and was wrecking things in her room in search for her. Astrid stood firmly in front of the table, casting fearful glances over her shoulder at the rose.

She'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, but this was her last line of defense. She had to protect the rose, even if it only meant she and everyone else she cared about had a few short hours left. Maybe the curse's fate was inevitable, but she was still the princess of this castle! She had to fight for them, now more than ever!

Taking a deep breath, Astrid clutched her shoulder, feeling for the glass pieces embedded in her skin, but she blinked in surprise. They were gone. Traces of blood were still there, and yet, the wounds were closed.

But… that was impossible! Unless… that warm feeling that surged up her arm earlier… wasn't her imagination…

Astrid blinked as she felt the first few drops of rain hit her face. She bit her lip and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be daydreaming. She had to focus.

Normally, Astrid would be able to take on any ordinary man no problem. But this was no ordinary man. And even if Dagur were, she could tell he definitely wasn't in the right headspace. He was unpredictable and that made him dangerous.

So far, the only trick that seemed to work was to get him angry. His impatience made him just a bit sloppier. But even that won't work forever. She needed to think of a new strategy and fast. It was only going to be a matter of time before Dagur was done trashing her room as he looked for her.

Then Astrid narrowed her eyes, listening. _It's too quiet…_

"Peekaboo!"

Astrid turned her head and Dagur suddenly appeared beside her. Before she could react, he smacked her in the jaw, knocking her back against the table, making it shake. The crystal topper rattled side to side.

Panicking for a moment, Astrid gripped the table, making the vibration stop. But with her attention diverted, Dagur kicked her in the chest, sending her flying backward. She gave a startled cry as she flipped over the railing of the balcony and rolled down the side of the roof. She momentarily disappeared in the mist and rain, out of sight to Dagur…

Sneering down where she disappeared, Dagur replaced his axe and shouldered his crossbow. He reached over his shoulder for his quiver, but his hand came up empty. He blinked in confusion and his smile disappeared. He turned around and saw Hiccup standing behind him, in the rain, holding all of his arrows. At once, Hiccup brought them down across his knee, breaking them.

"Where is she?" Hiccup demanded in a dark tone. He never looked angrier in his life.

If Dagur was surprised by Hiccup's sudden appearance, he did a good job of hiding it. He threw back his head, blood covering half his face, his eyes sparkling with madness in the flashes of lightning, and laughed, "You won't have to worry about her anymore, Brother! Soon that demon will be sent back where she belongs, burning in the fires of Muspelheim!"

"You bastard!" Hiccup yelled, lunging at Dagur.

Enraged, he grabbed Dagur's collar and shoved him backward. The two men wrestled, struggling back and forth, each fighting for control. Then they stumbled against the railing and dragged each other over the side of the balcony, falling in a different direction from where Astrid fell. Dagur's axe was knocked out of his hand along with his crossbow. The weapons skidded down the roof in varying directions. After rolling for a while, the two men broke apart in the tumble and landed on opposite sides of the flat roof over the ballroom.

Hiccup shook his dizzy head as he pushed himself up on all fours. His vision blurred for a moment, but he gasped when it cleared.

In the distance, through the mist and the downpour, he could see Astrid's silhouette hanging on to the edge of the roof by her claws. She was slowly making progress, pulling herself up, but, following Hiccup's gaze, Dagur set his eyes on her as well.

The Berserker looked around for his missing axe in the rain and, in a fork of lightning, he caught the glint of the axeblade, hooked around a catch in the roof above a sheer drop. Grinning, he climbed toward it, reaching for his weapon just out of his grasp, wanting nothing more than to throw it at the Beast and watch her plummet to her death.

Hiccup didn't need to read Dagur's mind to know what he was planning. But how was he supposed to stop him?

Then an idea hit him, and Hiccup unfastened his peg leg, aiming carefully. _Oh gods, please throw straight!_

Just as Dagur was about to latch his hand around the axe's handle, Hiccup's metal leg struck the axe, knocking it free from the roof. Dagur flailed his arms and roared as he watched both the axe and the leg tumble through the air to the ground far below.

"You are _really_ starting to annoy me!" he bellowed, turning on him.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder and suddenly realized he had nowhere to retreat and only one leg to stand on. _Uh-oh…_

…

After Dagur sent Astrid rolling down the side of the roof, it took all her strength to dig her claws through the tile shingles and slow her fall. She stopped right at the edge of the roof, her legs freely dangling in the air. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Astrid did her best not to look down. Although it hurt her winged arms to go against their natural function (especially the previously broken one) she bit her lip and after a minute of struggling, just barely managed to pull herself up over the side.

Shaking off her nerves, Astrid dug her talons in the roof as she climbed. She needed to sneak back up the tower and catch _him_ off guard this time.

Then she heard two men struggling, hits being struck as one cried out in pain.

Through the rain, Astrid could see two silhouetted figures fighting on the ballroom rooftop. But the bulkier one was easily pummeling the skinnier one.

 _Was that…?_ "Hiccup!" she cried.

…

"Why won't you just stay out of the way?!" Mala yelled as she back-slapped Hiccup across the face. Hiccup tripped over and fell backward on his tailbone, his senses knocked silly. His cheek stung in the rain. Mala screamed down at him, "Can't you see that I love you?!"

Hiccup stared at her. She was right. She did love him. But not in a way that he wanted to be treated. He shook his head. "I keep trying to tell you over and over, Mala, but _this…_ " he gestured between them; her above him, him below her, "… _this_ is seriously how you want us to be for the rest of our lives?"

The huntress glowered down at him, the hate filling her eyes. " _This?!"_ Mala cried, throwing her arms, _"This_ is what happens when you bring change! _This_ is what happens when you go against our norms, our culture, our way of life!"

She suddenly kicked him in the stomach and sent him rolling toward the edge of the roof. At the last second, Hiccup caught himself with one hand, his whole body hanging freely in the air. He gasped at the dizzying drop below. He looked back up and saw Mala standing above him, lightning flashing behind her.

"It's nature, Hiccup!" she cried, her eyes wild, "You either rise above the rest or get shoved down into the dirt! And now… I guess it's your turn. Say hello to your father for –!"

WHAM!

Astrid suddenly swooped in, fly-kicking the woman so hard that Mala spun in the air before she landed painfully, rolling across the roof until she was far out of sight. Wasting no time, Astrid bent down and peered over the edge.

"Hiccup!" she cried in relief. "Just wait there! Hold on!"

Hiccup almost laughed, equally relieved at the sight of her. "Oh, don't worry! I wasn't planning on doing anything else!" he replied.

He was somewhat out of her reach, so Astrid turned and, bracing herself, lowered her tail down to him. "Just grab on!" she ordered.

Hiccup did as he was told, and Astrid used all her strength to pull him back over the side. Once he was safely over, they both collapsed on their knees, panting in the rain. After a good minute, Hiccup's heart finally slowed down enough that he could catch his breath.

"Oh, Astrid. I'm so sorry! Dagur had my mom – and I was so stupid! I shouldn't have shown him the mirror – and I was so scared that I was too late –"

But Astrid didn't seem to listen. She suddenly jumped forward and wrapped her arms around his torso, holding him tight. Hiccup was momentarily shocked into silence. She didn't say anything, but he didn't need her to. He relaxed against her and folded his arms around her, squeezing her back.

Gods, he had been so scared that he lost her, but it was over. It was finally over.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said, pulling away. "I… I need to tell you something…"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes?"

She swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing. "I… I lo –"

But then Astrid glanced up and gasped at something behind him. "What? What is it?" Hiccup asked, turning around. Then his lungs went ice cold.

A menacing figure stood on the balcony to Astrid's room, sneering down at them, holding…

"Oh, kiddies! Lookie what I found!"


	27. The Rose - part I

**B &B – Chapter Twenty-five: "The Rose" – part I ***

"Oh, kiddies!" Dagur called, menacingly. "Lookie what I found!"

Hiccup's lungs went ice cold. Dagur was standing beside the table, on the balcony of Astrid's room, sneering down at them. The rose wasn't in the crystal topper. It was clutched in his hand. He smirked as he twirled the fragile stem between his fingers.

"I was wondering why you chose to hide from me out here, earlier. Based on your reaction, I'd say this is probably very important to you, isn't it, Beast?" he said, relishing the look on Astrid's face.

Without his peg leg, Hiccup knew he couldn't stand up, but he rose to his knees as if he could.

"Dagur, please…" Hiccup spoke slowly, holding his hands up. "If you _ever_ cared for me at all, _please,_ put that back. You have _no idea_ what you're messing with."

"Hmm," Dagur hummed, considering. "You know, I like it when you beg. Do it again."

Hiccup blinked in surprise, but, without question, he bent down and bowed his head low, trying to look as small as possible. "Please… I'm begging you," he said, looking up at him. "Don't do this."

For a moment, Dagur stopped and seemed to consider. He looked between Hiccup and the rose with something almost like sympathy on his face. No one dared to say anything more and break the silence. Only the pattering of rain fell between them.

Then Dagur slowly lifted his arm, holding the rose out.

At once, his fist crushed around the delicate flower. Both Hiccup and Astrid gasped, and Dagur madly cackled at their expressions. He let its tattered remains fall to the floor before stomping down on it with his boot.

An instant later, Astrid felt horribly sick. She gasped and doubled over, feeling like hot coals were burning inside her stomach. The pain was so intense, she had to kneel to the floor to stop the world from spinning.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried in alarm.

He put a hand on her shoulder, but Astrid thrust out her arm, pushing him away and harshly snapped at him, "No! Don't come any closer!"

Hiccup froze. Her voice sounded… _deeper_ than before. And the look she shot him just now… it wasn't human.

Astrid continued to moan and roll around in pain. As she did, her wings grew larger, her tail grew more spines than ever before, and her moans turned into deep rumbling growls. It was like she had gone and evolved into a Titan-Wing Nadder. Eventually her moans stopped, and she slowly raised her head and looked around, her eyes falling on him. Hiccup trembled on the spot. Her face was blank, emotionless, and her pupils narrowed to reptilian slits.

This wasn't Astrid. This monster wasn't her.

Dagur cackled in excitement, looking down at them like a Roman emperor watching a gladiator fight. "Now _that_ is a beast! Think you can tame even _this dragon_ , Hiccup?" Dagur cat-called down at him. "Will he succeed, ladies and gentlemen? Or die trying?"

…

Everything around her looked blurry, out-of-focus, and tinged with red. Figures and objects alike were merely dark shapes that moved against a fuzzy white background. Noises sounded distorted, like she was underwater. No matter which way she turned her head, it was the same. The more she looked, the less sense it all made. None of what she saw made sense. Nothing she _felt_ made sense.

She was confused and scared. And angry. _So angry._

She couldn't even understand why, and that made her angrier. It was like a boiling rage was burning her from the inside, fighting to get out.

She hated this! She wanted it all to stop! Stop the pain! Stop these strange new sensations pounding on her brain! Shut out everything! Just shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!

…

Hiccup gasped and rolled out of the way just as Astrid roared and lunged forward, biting her fangs down on the spot he used to be. "Astrid, what are you doing?!" he cried, crawling backward in fright.

She didn't respond. She only moaned and roared as though in pain, slashing her claws and biting down with her fangs, tearing the roof apart in her wake. She was on a war path, destroying anything and everything in sight. Hiccup crawled away, trying to dodge the debris she threw around her. His fear only grew as he saw the wounds she inflicted in her rage.

"Astrid, you're hurting yourself! Stop!" he shouted.

But she didn't seem to hear him at all. Screwing up his courage, Hiccup pushed himself up to stand and clumsily hopped toward her. He could almost reach out and touch her shoulder.

"Astrid, come on! Listen to me!" Hiccup cried.

Faster than a blur, she spun, and her tail uncaringly wiped into his stomach, completely knocking the air out of him and sending him flying across the roof. Hiccup crashed against the balcony and fell on all fours, clutching his stomach, his ears ringing. It was a miracle, considering how spiked her tail was, that he didn't have gaping holes in his torso, but he didn't have time to marvel his apparent _'luck'_. He shook his head and fought to stand.

"I know you're in there," he grunted, picking himself up. "I'm not giving up on you."

…

Dagur was ravenously enjoying himself, watching them squirm under his thumb. If only he had thought of this sooner! After the bitch defied him, he was determined to make her suffer, and he just created the perfect tragedy! She would end up killing the one person she loved most! How sad! How diabolical! How exciting was that?!

And how perfect was it to finally put Hiccup in his place? To finally strike fear in his heart, watch the light of hope fade away in his eyes as he realizes he can't win this fight. There are some beasts you just can't tame no matter how hard you try.

…

Hiccup approached her over and over again, but every time he tried, she'd push him away, and would go back to fighting herself.

Hiccup cried in pain as he was thrown back yet again. Every time Astrid hit, Hiccup felt the full brunt of the impact and yet… he noticed that he felt a warm feeling tingling across his skin, dulling the pain, as though someone was hugging him, shielding him, saying his name… calling out to him…

Still… it was getting harder and harder for Hiccup to get back up. His head was dizzy, his whole body ached, and he was starting to wonder if there was ever going to be an end to this cycle of agony he was putting himself through.

Maybe he alone wasn't enough to fight this curse. Maybe not every monster or challenge he faced in life could be solved with a clever trick or a show of compassion. But even so…

" _Just this once…"_ he mentally prayed, _"Please, oh please, make an exception… Let Astrid be the exception…"_

He trembled as he picked himself up yet again.

"I don't care how many times you push me away!" he snapped, "I told you, I'm not giving up on you, Astrid!"

For a moment, she paused in her rampage and looked at him, and her face seemed to soften, her eyes fluctuating between slit and pupil. Did she recognize him?

"Astrid," he repeated, watching her face for a reaction. But he saw none.

Then Hiccup realized something that broke his heart: her own name, it was just a meaningless sound to her.

"You… don't remember, do you?"

She stared at him, cocking her head to the side, almost with animalistic curiosity.

Hiccup rose to his knees and took a slow step forward. "But… that's okay. Because I do." He gently raised his hand, taking cautious steps toward her. She bristled slightly, hissing as she backed away, but Hiccup didn't rush his movements. He took his time, speaking gently:

"Your name is Astrid… You were nervous to tell me at first because you thought I would laugh…" Then he smiled a little as the words started to flow from him. "You… like to punch me in the arm, whether you're happy or upset. And you made me go ice skating with you even though I was scared to try with my leg. You… helped me see there wasn't anything to be scared of…"

Astrid suddenly moaned again, closing her eyes tight and clawing at her face. She backed away, thrashing her tail, but Hiccup ducked as it swung over his head. Then she stopped and trembled on the spot.

Trying to keep the mood light, Hiccup picked himself up and chuckled a little, "You hate Shakespeare, even though I don't understand why. You're – by far – the worst patient I've ever had to heal. And you scarf down meat like nobody's in the room…"

Holding his breath, Hiccup gingerly reached out his hand to her. Astrid glared at him and hissed a little, backing away slightly, but he didn't stop. He didn't rush his movements. He very well knew that she could snap his hand off in an instant, but still…

The way she trembled… almost reminded him of a little girl, hiding in the fetal position, hugging her knees close to herself…

Hiccup paused and pursed his lips, swallowing a lump in his throat. "You… don't like to sleep alone because you get nightmares… You don't like feeling alone…"

Finally, his hand lightly grazed the side of her scaly face. She flinched slightly, her eyes wide and fearful, but she didn't back away. "You're not alone, Astrid… You're not a beast… This isn't you. I know you'd never hurt me."

There was a long pause as Astrid stared at him… But then her eyes fluttered closed and she leaned into his palm, savoring the way it soothed her. She didn't want to think about anything else but his hand against her face, his thumb stroking her cheek.

Hiccup smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. "There you are…"


	28. The Rose - part II

**B &B – Chapter Twenty-six: "The Rose" – part II** *

"What?!" Dagur cried from the balcony, clenching the railing with white knuckles. "What happened?! Why have you stopped fighting?! Rip him to pieces!"

Astrid suddenly looked up and her eyes snapped on Dagur. Her pupils narrowed to angry slits again.

Hiccup panicked. "No, wait, Astrid! Don't listen to him! Focus on me!"

But she shoved him aside and spread her wings. In one powerful flap, she lifted herself into the air and launched herself at Dagur. The man didn't have a chance of escaping her this time.

Dagur's eyes went wide and he screamed as her talons pinned him to the floor. She knocked over the table without a second thought, the crystal topper shattering into tiny pieces.

She opened her jaws and the back of her throat started to glow white-hot. Hiccup gasped, for he knew what was coming.

"Please! Don't hurt me, Beast!" Dagur pleaded, squirming desperately. "I'll do anything! Anything!"

But then… Astrid strangely stopped, and the glow in the back of her throat died down. Her face softened, her eyes momentarily returning to their proper dilation. Whether it was because the rose still had one tiny, torn, and shriveled petal left on its stem or that Astrid was fighting with her own sheer willpower, Hiccup would never know. But he watched her struggle and marveled her resolve.

Then she bent closer to the Berserker and snorted in his face. Dagur flinched and moaned as he was drawn close to her sharp teeth.

Then she spoke these five words like they were a command, not just to Dagur but to herself: "I… am not… a beast."

She released Dagur from under her foot and he quickly scurried away, shrieking like a little girl. She roared after him, "Go on! Get out of my castle! AND DON'T COME BACK!"

After her echo died away, she turned and looked at Hiccup. In that instant, he knew she recognized him. For one happy moment, they gazed at each other across the roof, each smiling with relief. It was over.

…

Dagur clambered his way down a narrow side section of roof, panting, his heart leaping in his chest. He stopped for a moment and leaned against a gargoyle. He looked down at his hand and realized how much he was shaking.

Dagur's hands clenched into tight fists. No! He couldn't believe it! After everything, he still couldn't even have the satisfaction of watching them fight to the death?! And the bitch even had the audacity to show him mercy! _Him!_

Just then, his eyes fell on his crossbow. It lay only a few feet away, as though waiting for him. Dagur reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the spare arrow he kept with him at all times. A proper warrior had to be prepared, after all. His eye twitched as he looked back at the two on the roof.

She had apparently helped Hiccup to climb back onto the balcony and they were embracing. They looked so happy.

Dagur couldn't stop madly laughing to himself.

He was going to make them regret letting him go – tossing him aside like that! Like he was nothing! Oh, he'll show 'em!

"Say good night, darling," he sneered, aiming.

…

Then Astrid's ears perked as she heard the quiet click of a drawn crossbow. Before Hiccup could speak, without explanation, Astrid suddenly shoved him away, making him fall flat on his back to the floor.

There was a quiet _thunk_ sound and Hiccup's eyes widened in horror. A thick black arrow protruded from Astrid's side, sinking deeply between her ribs. Her mouth was open in a silent gasp, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

…

Dagur was laughing hysterically. "Yes! I did it! Did you see that? Not even Thor himself could aim better!"

Just then, a bolt of lightning shot out of the sky, striking the base under his feet.

"Ha! You missed!" the Berserker cried. Then he noticed the cracks forming at his feet. The ledge dropped out from under him. He screamed, kicking and wheeling as he tumbled through the air, hundreds of feet before disappearing once and for all into the fog below.

Perhaps it would've been easy enough for Thor to aim straight at him, killing him instantly, but this was a mercy the man didn't deserve to have. Instead, he would plummet to his death; fully realizing his demise was imminent, but unable to change his fate – to feel the utter terror of death strike his heart and be the last thing he ever felt.

The thunder clapped once more in the clouds and the rain finally slowed to a stop.

…

Astrid swayed on her feet and Hiccup hurried to catch her before she could fall. She collapsed against him and he gently set her down to the floor in his lap. His eyes only grew wider as he stared at the shaft of the arrow digging between her ribs. A spot of red started seeping through her shirt. This was bad. Very bad. Pulling the arrow out was only going to make it worse. There was… nothing he could do.

"H-Hic-Hiccup?" Astrid wheezed between breaths.

"I'm here, Astrid. I'm here," Hiccup said.

Astrid strained her neck to look down at the arrow in her side, but Hiccup was quick to make her look away, forcing himself to smile. "Hey, hey, hey. Don't look down. Just look up at me, remember? You're gonna be okay."

But it didn't matter if Hiccup was a terrible liar, Astrid already knew the truth. She could feel it puncturing her lung, twisting deep inside her. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Even so, Hiccup was desperate to stay hopeful. "M-Maybe Mrs. Potts or someone will come and help…" He tried to raise his voice and call out, "H-Hey! Chip! Cogslegs! Tuffwick! I need help over here!"

Astrid grit her teeth, wincing, bitterly shaking her head. "Hiccup, it's too late… T-the rose died… They're gone…"

Now that she mentioned it, Hiccup could hear the eerie stillness throughout the castle. No sounds of fighting downstairs, no cause for celebration at all. No Tuffwick or Ruffette making witty retorts. No Cogslegs spewing facts. No Mrs. Potts or Chip… No one was coming to save them.

"I'm afraid… it's my turn t-to leave…" Astrid grimaced, fighting a wave of pain, her vision going dark.

"Hey, come on! We're together _now_!" Hiccup argued, smiling through the tears in his eyes. "Everything's going to be fine! You'll see!"

Astrid smiled weakly, trying not to sound as scared as she was. "It-it's okay… It's probably better this way… at least I got t-to see you one last time…" she wheezed between sharp breaths.

Hiccup roughly shook his head. He didn't want to hear this. Just a few short hours ago they had been dancing in the ballroom. Everything had been perfect! But now…

"No. No!" he snapped, his voice cracking, "Don't talk like that! Please, don't… just don't…"

Astrid weakly raised a hand to touch Hiccup's wet cheek. He put his hand on top of hers, holding it there. His green eyes looked so sad.

"D-Don't cry, Hiccup… You made this life… one worth living…"

And with one last breath, Astrid's gaze drifted to the sky, and the strength left her body completely. Her breathing stopped. Hiccup could feel her hand go rigid and cold against his face. Her electric-blue eyes lost all spark in them, staring fixed above him at nothing.

"No… _No_ …" Hiccup moaned, holding her tighter in his arms. "Please, don't leave me… Come back… I never wanted to leave you… I'm sorry… You needed me, and I… I couldn't protect you! _I'm sorry!"_

He sobbed into her hair, shaking as he gently rocked her back and forth. He didn't even notice the cloaked figure soundlessly walking into the chamber, mournfully kneeling down and scooping up the crushed remains of the rose off the floor. Heather's heart twisted at the tragic sight, but she said nothing.

Hiccup continued to cry with Astrid tightly cradled in his arms, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. "No! This wasn't supposed to happen! I wanted to come back! I wanted to help break the curse! I wanted us to argue over books! And play in the snow! And to go flying on more adventures! I wanted – I wanted to have _a life_ with you, Astrid!"

His shimmering tears plopped on her lifeless face, his forehead brushing hers. "Please," he begged, barely above a whisper, "I… I can't imagine a world without you in it… I love you…"


	29. Tale as Old as Time

**B &B – Chapter Twenty-seven: "Tale as Old as Time"***

Suddenly, the air grew deadly still and time seemed to stop. It was suddenly so silent that Hiccup had to look up and around him. Then a small light started to shine in his eyes. He squinted and raised one hand to cover his face, thinking it was sunrise, but it wasn't coming from the horizon. He looked down and realized the source.

Astrid's heart was glowing, through her chest plate, and the light was growing, slowly enveloping her whole body to shine radiant like the sun. The light danced through the air, curling around Hiccup's arms, tingling even the hairs on the back of his neck. Hiccup knew this had to be magic. He watched as the arrow in Astrid's side seemed to disintegrate to gold dust and blew away in the breeze. He could feel her body shrink until he was holding a human-sized body frame in his arms.

Then the light finally died, and Hiccup stared down at the form of a peacefully sleeping young woman. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her skin was smooth and fair, her lips the blush of a pale pink rose. Indeed, she was very pretty, but it all seemed too surreal. This couldn't be Astrid, could it?

Then her eyes fluttered open. They were electric-blue eyes. That one missing piece suddenly made her whole appearance fit into place. That round jawline, the arch of her eyebrows, the slenderness of her neck, the muscular physique, it all belonged to her. He could barely hold back his excitement.

Astrid squinted, rubbing her eyes and groaning up at him, "Hiccup? What happened? I thought I –" She gasped as she noticed the hand in front of her. It was her own! She looked down and saw the rest of her body lying on the ground. Her actual toes! She could wiggle them!

Immediately, without hesitation, Astrid excitedly tried to stand up. Only she did it a little too fast and Hiccup had to catch her before she tripped over her proportionately sized human feet. But she hardly cared.

Before Hiccup could say a word, without warning, Astrid squeezed her arms around his neck in a tight bear-hug. It was her first _real_ hug after so many years. She relished the strength in her arms. No longer did they feel like useless bird wings, but real bone and muscle.

Hiccup wheezed, trying to get her attention, "Uh, Astrid! I-I can't breathe!"

She immediately let him go. "Oh, right! Sorry!"

Still, they both laughed, too overjoyed.

When their laughter died down, Astrid looked down at Hiccup's hands, still wrapped around her waist. He made no move to let her go, and she didn't want him to… not yet…

Hiccup watched her as she calmly reached for one of his hands and brought it up at eye level. She slowly held up her own hand, tentatively stretched her fingers, encouraging him to uncoil his, and pushed their palms together. His fingers were slightly longer than hers but still… Astrid's eyes teared up at the sight.

They were a pair of matching hands. She really was human like him.

A thought whispered in the back of her mind:

 _If she was human again, that could only mean one thing…_

Hiccup cupped his hand to her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. She leaned into it, momentarily closing her eyes. His hand felt even softer against her skin.

Then… his fingers trailed down her cheek, ever so slowly, until his thumb caressed the bottom of her lip. She looked up at him and he looked deep into her eyes, admiring those beautiful orbs.

Astrid's mouth slightly parted, as though ready to say something, but the words died on her tongue. "I… I love…"

 _Oh, who was she kidding?_

Her hands snaked up his chest and pulled at his collar. His own hands snaked around her waist, pulling her against him. Both closing their eyes.

They kissed. And two hearts could never have sung in more harmony than them.

Eventually, they parted and rested foreheads against each other, both of them too overwhelmed with joy. Hiccup was surprised to see tears rolling down Astrid's cheeks.

"Is this a dream?" she asked, almost fearfully.

"No, Astrid. It's real! _You're_ real!" Hiccup said, beaming, close to tears himself.

They hugged each other tighter, offering comfort and reassurance. They stayed that way even as the dawn came, the sun bathing the whole castle in warm light.

They could hear many voices from downstairs, cheering and hollering in joy. As they pulled apart, Hiccup smiled at her.

"Are you ready to see the others?" Hiccup asked, twisting so they could lean on each other.

Astrid smiled. "The real question is, are you?"

He chuckled as they started walking together, step by step, to greet the excited voices downstairs.

...

"How is it that you changed back only a year ago and yet you _still_ have better balance than I do?" Hiccup called across the ice.

Astrid smiled back at him, twirling. "I don't know, but _you_ were the one that wanted to go skating today!" she called back.

Hiccup snickered to himself, shaking his head. He struggled some more, gradually making his way toward the center of the frozen lake by himself. "That's because I wanted to ask you something!"

"Way out here?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Is it a secret?"

He shook his head. "No, more like a surprise."

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "If this is some sort of trick, remember I can still fold you eight times over," she warned.

Hiccup chuckled, "No, no. It's not a trick. Besides, you told me the curse stopped you from hurting me."

"That was _before_ the curse was broken," she corrected, skating around him in a circle, smirking as she looked him up and down. "But now… I can do as I please," she teased.

She skidded to a stop right in front of him, mere inches away. But Hiccup didn't flinch. He smiled down at her. Even if she wasn't touching him, he could feel her warmth, radiating from her smile. He nodded. "I know… You're free, Astrid… and that's why I wanted to ask you."

Astrid took a step back to give him room. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Hiccup struggled to lower himself down to the ice and had to grab on to her for balance. "Uh – C-could you help me down, please?" he asked, sheepishly.

He hardly needed to ask, for she immediately helped him without question, but she was still very confused. "Hiccup, what's going on?"

It wasn't until he got down on one knee that it hit her. She froze on the spot, her insides suddenly tight.

Hiccup bit his lip. "I know that I don't come from much, and I don't have many skills… and maybe this is totally cliché, but…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bright red rose.

Astrid gasped, covering her mouth. Hiccup blushed, wincing. "Yeah, it's probably not the best offering, and I probably could've gotten something else, but it was the way my dad asked my mom, so…"

He looked up at her, taking a deep breath, his heart pounding non-stop in his chest.

"Astrid, will you marry me?"

Her face went scarlet and a tear rolled down her cheek as she beamed at him. She trembled from head to foot. It took her a moment before she sniffled, "Y-Yes!" Then she tackled him in a strong bear-hug.

It was a while before they could stop laughing and untangled themselves. They eventually just sat on the ice, snuggling together.

"It's beautiful," she said, caressing the flower.

"Thank Chip," Hiccup said, laughing a little. "He insisted that he get to pick it out."

Astrid snickered, shaking her head. "That rascal… So, everyone else knew about this proposal, huh? No wonder we haven't been interrupted. The castle is so unusually quiet."

Hiccup smirked. "Well… now that we're finally alone for once…"

Astrid caught his eye and smirked back at him. "Are you suggesting we make-out?"

Hiccup's cheeks went pink. "Well, when you put it like that –"

Astrid set the rose aside, grabbed the front of his shirt and cut him off with a kiss. Hiccup's eyes widened, but then they fluttered closed and he started kissing her back. They enjoyed their privacy the rest of the afternoon, looking forward to the future to come.

...

The months quickly passed, and the ceremony was ready to begin. The castle never looked so festive. Flower garlands hung everywhere. Everything was bright, and everyone was as happy as can be.

Of course, no one was happier than the happy couple. But…

Secretly, a thought had been nagging at the back of Astrid's mind ever since Hiccup's proposal. It didn't bother her at first, but over time it had grown so much that no matter how hard she tried to be happy today, it consumed her with worry.

And the worst part was that she was too terrified to talk to Hiccup about it. She wasn't sure even Mrs. Potts could help.

Astrid stared at her reflection in the mirror, sighing heavily. What was she going to do?

There was a small knock on her bedroom door and Valka stepped inside. "We're nearly ready downstairs," she said, smiling. Then her eyes fell on the girl in her white dress and she smiled wider. "Oh, dear Freyja, Hiccup's not going to be able to take his eyes off you!"

Astrid smiled, but the light didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thank you," she said faintly, before looking away.

Valka immediately knew something wasn't right. Call it motherly instinct or something else, but she knew the girl needed a listening ear. So, Valka closed the door behind her, shutting out the noise from downstairs, and gently sat beside her.

"What's wrong, dear?"

Astrid looked down at her hands, not sure where to even start. Then the words started tumbling out, only mounting her anxiety until it felt like a tidal wave that would swallow her whole.

"It's just… what if I'm not as changed as I think I am? What if I mess things up again? Or lose my temper and hurt someone? What if, deep down, I'm still…" She stopped herself and sighed, the weight of the world crushing down on her, "What if I… don't really deserve to have a happy ending?"

Valka shook her head, affectionately reaching out and stroking her hair, sighing, "Oh my… Always feels like the end of the world, doesn't it?"

Astrid glanced at her future mother-in-law, hiding behind her bangs, not sure what to say.

Valka merely smiled, gently tilting Astrid's chin to look her in the eyes. "You think Hiccup doesn't realize that you are going to have faults? I can tell you he knows that you love him despite all of his flaws."

Still, Astrid couldn't match her confidence. She looked down at her hands, clenching them tight. Frowning, Valka took one of Astrid's hands, squeezing it firmly.

"My boy chose _you_ , Astrid. Know that, as his mother, that is the highest honor I know exists."

Astrid suddenly found herself fighting back tears. Valka smiled fondly.

"You already _are_ making him happy. And I know you won't let him down."

The two drew into a brief and heartfelt hug. Then Astrid pulled away, wiping a tear from her eye. "Thank you," she said, feeling much better. "Normally, I'd only get to talk to Mrs. Potts about this kind of stuff."

Valka patted her shoulder. "Well, now you have two mothers to look after you."

Astrid smiled.

Just then, the door burst open and Chip flew in, dressed like a little gentleman, beaming. "Come on!" he shouted excitedly. "It's time! It's time! It's time!"

"Not so loudly, Chip!" Mrs. Potts scolded, quickly following behind him. She bowed her head apologetically. "So sorry, dear. He's just uncontrollable today."

Astrid stood up from her seat, shaking her head, smiling. "No, he's right. This is a celebration! What are we waiting for?"

…

Gobber cleared his throat.

"Ye, Hiccup Haddock, child of Odin, dost taketh Astrid Hofferson, daughter of Freyja, to be his betrothed. And, by utterance of these words, this union may only be broken in the Halls of Valhalla."

At the sound of those words, the crowd burst into cheers and thunderous applause. Even the dragons roared and shot blasts of fire that exploded in a myriad of colors in the sky.

Soon after, everyone was dancing in the ballroom. Mrs. Potts, her husband, Monsieur Jean, and their boy, Chip, danced together as a family. The Thorston twins, of course, were having fun pranking unsuspecting guests and Fishlegs was doing his best to keep up with them. Snotlout, perhaps unsurprisingly, found himself a date with Dogs-breath. They looked pretty smitten for a couple that just started dating.

Of course, no one was more enraptured with each other than the lovebirds. (Yes, those lovebirds.) They danced and danced the day away at the center of the dance floor in each other's arms.

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Tune as old as song_

 _Bittersweet and strange_

 _Finding you can change_

 _Learning you were wrong…_

Mrs. Potts glanced at the two newly-weds, smiling at how lost in each other's eyes they seemed, as though the rest of the world didn't matter.

 _Winter turns to spring_

 _Famine turns to feast_

 _Nature points the way_

 _Nothing left to say…_

Then Mrs. Potts caught eyes with Valka across the room and bowed a little with a nod, acknowledging her and everything good she had brought to this castle. Valka smiled and humbly nodded back in gratitude.

 _Beauty and the Beast…_

Hiccup kept glancing up and down at her in his arms and Astrid couldn't help but notice. "What? What is it?"

He shook his head, smiling wider. "I just can't get over how… amazing you look."

"That bad, huh?" she said as a tease, but was trying to hide her blushing.

He couldn't stop staring at her. Then he frowned a little, scrunching his eyebrows in thought. "I just… can't think of a word better than _'beautiful'_."

"Hmm… What about _'gorgeous'_?" she suggested casually.

Then Hiccup's eyes lit up and he shook his head. "No," he said, his lips curling into his crooked smile. "You're _'Astrid'_."

She stared at him with wide eyes for a split second and then burst out laughing, shaking her head, close to tears again. "Gods, you're such a dork!"

Hiccup chuckled. But then he frowned a little.

Astrid noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"

Hiccup blinked, looking a little sheepish. "Oh, it's nothing, really, I just… Please don't take this the wrong way, but… it's weird. I think… a tiny part of me kind of misses the tail."

Astrid broke into a snicker, shaking her head. "Miss the 'Beast', do you?" she said, snaking her arms around his neck.

He smiled at her. "Maybe a little."

She pretended to snarl at him, giving a low growl. Then she leaned close and whispered in his ear, "Well… maybe you'll find her later tonight… _Dragon Master."_

Hiccup didn't say anything, but for a moment, his body instantly stiffened and his face glowed bright red.

Astrid snickered. "There's my favorite color on you."

Then Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head. "Ha-ha, that's _so_ hilarious… Come here, you." He pulled her closer and dipped her down into a passionate kiss.

They both chuckled to themselves, spinning away with the rest of the dancers. They were never to part ever again. And they lived happily ever after…

 _Certain as the sun_

 _Rising in the east_

 _Tale as old as time_

 _Song as old as rhyme_

 _Beauty and the Beast_

 _Tale as old as time…_

 _Song as old as rhyme…_

 _Beauty and the Beast!_

 **Whether you have been following this story from the start, or have just found it, thank you all sincerely from the bottom of my heart for this amazing journey! 15K views by the time I'm posting this! My brain is probably officially fried!**

 **Edit: wow! 25K since last year! Thanks a million! I have a ton of other Hiccstrid content in the works, but for now, go check out my next Hiccstrid film. Hint: it's a Ghibli film! ;D**


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue:

"And _that_ is the story of how I fell in love with your mother," said Hiccup, smiling down at the little girl snuggled next to him on the bed, tucked under the blankets.

"But what about Dagur? Is he going to come back?" she asked, pulling the sheets to her nose, her big, blue eyes searching the shadows of her room.

Hiccup chuckled a little and shook his head. "You don't have to worry about him, sweetie. He, uh…"

He paused for a moment, remembering that his five-year-old was still a bit afraid of ghosts. She didn't need to have _that_ psychotic nightmare in her head.

"T-They caught him and took him to jail – very far away – where he can never come back out," Hiccup answered, mentally sighing in relief for thinking so quickly.

 _Perhaps another day he can explain the darker truths of the story…_

Still though… Hiccup smiled to himself as he bent down and kissed her forehead reassuringly. He could relax knowing that this was one precious piece of his life that was beyond Dagur's touch. He couldn't threaten to hurt this little treasure of his. He couldn't ruin this part of Hiccup's life. That Berserker was nothing more than a bad dream now… for all of them…

"What are you two doing?" said a voice in the doorway. "I thought you'd be in bed by now."

Hiccup looked up and smiled at his wife. She looked tired and a little disheveled from the long council meeting, but her smile lit up the room. Hiccup pretended to tense up, clutching his little girl close to him.

"Uh-oh… Looks like we're busted!"

"Uh-oh!" she repeated, quickly wiggling out of his arms and crawling deeper under the covers to hide, curling into a ball.

Of course, it did her no good, but the obvious bulge her little frame made in the covers was pretty adorable.

Astrid crossed her arms and smirked at Hiccup. "Wow… So stealthy."

Hiccup smirked back. "It's like she's invisible."

"I'm a Changewing!" said the bulge under the covers.

There was suddenly a loud crash that echoed from downstairs and soon after, Fishlegs could be heard, scolding the twins, yet again. Astrid rolled her eyes and groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Speaking of Uncle Tuffnut… Could you please take care of that for me, honey?" she asked, batting her tired, blue eyes at him.

Hiccup smirked, shaking his head. As if he could even resist. "Of course," he said, standing up and kissing her on the forehead. "Anything for Milady."

"Thank you," she replied, briefly closing her eyes and giving a small, contented sigh.

As soon as her husband stepped out, Astrid glanced back at the little bulge under the bed covers (totally not trying to sneak a peek) and tried to hold back a chuckle.

She was her mother. She wasn't supposed to condone her five-year-old for staying up so late. But dear gods – she's just too adorable! How did she and Hiccup make something so… _so precious? So curious? So kind and sweet? So wonderful…?_

Astrid rolled her eyes and shook her head, not even bothering to stop her smile. How could she even resist?

She sighed as she shifted into Hiccup's vacant spot on the bed, lifting up the blanket and smiled at her little girl underneath. "So, you finally got to hear Mommy and Daddy's story, huh? Lucky you."

The girl crawled back out, sitting on her knees, grinning. "Uh-huh! I didn't know you were a dragon! That must've been so cool!" she said, beaming. "Does that mean I'm part dragon?"

Astrid chuckled lightheartedly, "I don't think it works that way, sweetheart."

Then she started jumping up and down on the bed, excitedly rambling, "But how did Daddy save you when the rose died? Why did all the staff change their names? Did Grandma Haddock move in to the castle? Did all the villagers say sorry once they remembered? How old is Toothless? Did you really sing all those songs?"

"My goodness! You ask so many questions, like your father," Astrid said with a playful smirk. Then she held up her fingers. "Okay, I'll answer three more questions, but then you have to go to sleep! Deal?"

The girl stopped jumping and thought about it for a moment, as if she had any bargaining power in this conversation, then nodded. "Deal."

Astrid pulled back the covers and gestured for her to climb back in. The little girl complied, snuggling and making herself comfortable. She thought for a moment before deciding.

"What happened to Heather?" she asked, sounding concerned. "Daddy said she wanted to go back home. Did she?"

Astrid smiled, standing up and pulled the covers up to her little chin. She smoothed out the rest of the ruffled bed sheets with her hands before sitting back down on the edge of the bed, gazing down at her sweet, little face.

"Yes, she did, sweetie," Astrid nodded. "Once the curse was broken, she got all her magic back and she went back home to all her Valkyrie friends in Valhalla. I haven't seen her since, but I like to think that she makes the roses bloom each year, just to say hi."

The girl nodded, accepting her answer. Then she bit her lip and looked a little nervous.

Astrid raised an eyebrow, noticing her hesitation. "What's your next question, honey?"

She couldn't have imagined what her daughter was going to ask next.

…

After resolving the issue downstairs, Hiccup returned down the corridor and happily snuck back toward their daughter's room again. He was about to step back inside when he heard her sweet voice through the door.

"W-What about Grandpa Hofferson?" she asked, timidly. "Did… Why did he do that to you, Mommy? Why was he so mean? Didn't he love you?"

Hiccup froze on the spot, his hand pausing from reaching the doorknob. He held his breath, listening.

 _How was Astrid going to answer that?_

…

Astrid froze for a moment, her eyes going wide. She silently clenched her hands and bit her lip, thinking. How could she explain it to her daughter when she herself had been struggling to understand the same thing ever since she was her age? Even now, she wasn't sure she understood.

"Grandpa was…" Astrid slowly answered, treading lightly. "He was very, _very_ sad when Grandma died. He was so sad that he felt _broken_ inside... And he thought that if he couldn't put _himself_ back together… then he could at least try and make _me_ strong enough to withstand anything."

"Invincible," the girl said.

Astrid blinked in surprise. "When did you become so smart?"

"Daddy taught me," she said with a little smile, her freckles standing out against her pink cheeks.

Astrid nodded, fighting to keep her own smile. "Right. Invincible…"

Frowning slightly, she gently reached out and stroked her daughter's red hair. "Sweetie… my daddy loved me _very much_. I… I don't think he meant to do what he did to hurt me. He just wanted me to be able to take care of myself once he was gone."

"Because then you had to rule the kingdom by yourself," the girl said.

Astrid nodded. "That's right."

There was a moment of pause between them before Astrid drew her lips into a thin smile again. "So, what is your last question?" she asked.

But Astrid blinked in surprise, watching her daughter curl into a tight ball.

"B-But what about the beast?" she asked, looking down at her hands, shaking. "What if… _I_ turn into a beast?"

"What…?" Astrid's face went slack in shock. One look at the girl's teary, blue eyes and she quickly drew forward, pulling her trembling daughter into her arms. "Oh baby, where did you get that idea?"

She sniffled against her chest, fighting back tears. "S-Sometimes, I get mad at my friends at school. They tease me about stuff and laugh at me. I know they don't mean it, but sometimes I just get so mad I… I don't…"

Astrid sighed, calmly smoothing her hair as she gently rocked her back and forth. "Oh sweetheart, listen to me. _It is okay to feel angry._ You have every right to feel upset when something doesn't seem fair. We all have our bad days sometimes, but the important thing is that we do our best to show that we care. And when we do something wrong, we say we're sorry and try to make it better. It isn't just you. Even grownups sometimes have trouble saying what they really want to say."

Still, the girl curled even tighter. "B-But what if I get so mad that I turn into a beast?"

"Baby, that's not going to happen –"

"But what if it does?" she argued, her voice muffled against her chest.

Astrid almost wanted to laugh. _This kind, precious, sweet, little girl crying in her arms? Get turned into a beast? Not in a million years._ Her crying at the very thought of hurting someone just proved how much better off she was – at least, better than Astrid was at her age. If only someone had told Astrid she was allowed to cry when she was that young. If only someone had told her it was _okay_ to hurt, to make mistakes, to depend on someone to help make the nightmares go away. That she wasn't alone.

Astrid squeezed her daughter even tighter, trying to will the feeling of security and strength through her arms, smiling confidently. "That part is easy. Then you remember all the people in your life that love you. You hold on to them with _all your heart_ and never forget how kind and special you are," she said, kissing her forehead before slightly pulling away to look her in the eyes.

The girl looked up at her mother with her big, tearful, blue eyes, almost convinced but not quite.

Astrid smirked, playfully booping her on the nose. "Now, tell me. Who loves you?" she asked.

The girl wiped her eyes and started counting on her fingers, "M-Mommy… Daddy… Grandma Haddock…"

"Don't forget Mrs. Potts and Uncle Chip," Astrid added.

The girl smiled a little, the light coming back to her eyes. "Uh-huh. And Uncle Fishlegs… Uncle and Auntie Nut… Mr. Snotlout… Mr. Gobber… and Toothless!"

"And all of your friends at school, too," said Astrid, wiping the last of her tears away. "You see? You've got lots of people that love you."

Then the girl frowned. "What about Gustav and Sven? They tease me the most. They won't believe me once I tell them your story," she said.

Astrid leaned close and rubbed noses with her, grinning mischievously. "Then you can tell those bullies that if they mess with my baby, they're gonna have to watch out for _Mama Beast!"_

The little girl shrieked as Astrid suddenly pulled her out from under the covers and started tickling her sides, pretending to roar and bite her toes. The girl squirmed in her arms, laughing, "Okay, Mommy! Stop! That tickles!"

Hiccup couldn't help but smile to himself, behind the door, listening to them squeal with laughter. Eventually, Astrid relented and tucked the girl back under the covers.

"Alright, now it's time for this little smarty-pants to go to sleep. It's already way past your bedtime," said Astrid, leaning forward to blow out the candle. She bent down and kissed her forehead one more time. "Goodnight, Rose. I love you."

"Goodnight, Mommy," she replied, snuggling into a ball under her blankets. "I love you, too."

Astrid smiled and stood up, quietly walking to the door.

"Mommy?"

Astrid turned in the doorframe and looked back. "Yeah?"

"I think… Grandpa… loves you, too," she said with a yawn, her eyes already closing as she drifted off to sleep.

Astrid froze on the spot again, her insides going tight. She wanted to smile. She really did. But still… it hurt her face when she smiled at her. "Sweet dreams, baby…" she whispered.

…

Astrid quietly closed the door and closed her eyes, sighing heavily as she pressed her forehead against the doorframe for a moment.

Then she felt warm arms slowly snake around her torso from behind, offering comfort. She smiled a little as Hiccup rested his chin on her shoulder, lightly kissing her collarbone.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered in her ear, hugging her a little tighter.

Astrid let herself relax in his arms but then frowned a bit. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just trying to convince myself what I want to believe… about my dad, I mean…"

Hiccup laced his fingers with one of her hands, stroking his thumb. " _I_ believe it. Besides, how could anyone not love you?" he said, giving her a peck on the cheek.

Astrid smirked, rolling her eyes. "Go back in time and tell yourself that while you were still sitting in your dungeon cell."

Hiccup smirked back, chuckling a little. "I know, I probably wouldn't have believed me… But I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat for my two favorite girls in the world."

Astrid smiled, sinking contentedly deeper in his arms. It had felt like a long time since they'd had the chance to be alone together. Being rulers and first-time parents did that sort of thing. But still…

"I'm happy," she replied. "I don't think I can be happier."

After a moment, Hiccup paused in his advances, pulling slightly away. Astrid watched him carefully, noticing his frown. "What is it?" she asked gently.

"What you said about your father…" he said, biting his lip. "In a way, I can imagine what he must've felt… That night, with Dagur…" His hands instinctively clenched a little tighter around her. "I _really_ thought I'd lost you. And – gods forbid that ever happens again – but I don't know what I would've done if I was left alone with Rose…"

Astrid turned around in his arms and put her hands on either side of his face, pulling his focus. "But you _didn't_ lose me. We're raising her _together._ And I have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon."

He nodded. "I know, but, what I mean to say is… while losing you scares me, becoming that kind of a man scares me even more. I don't _ever_ want to be like that. I don't want to be someone that hurts Rose or you or…"

"Hey, hey…" she said, smirking and shaking her head. "You are the _furthest_ person away from him that I know of. And I'd tell you if I thought differently, even for an instant. Besides, if anyone should feel scared about turning into him, it's me!"

Hiccup broke into a smile. "Are you kidding? The way you talked to Rose back there… you're an amazing mom."

Astrid closed her eyes and lightly kissed his lips. "And you're a great dad, Hiccup. The best kind. You teach. You challenge, but you don't make it feel impossible. You can pick her up when she's down. And if she needs help, she knows she can come to us. But most of all… you're _there._ " She smiled at him. "Believe me, that's all she wants."

Then she kissed him deeply, and he completely relaxed against her, kissing her back. Even after all these years, he couldn't quite get used to her kiss. He still felt a little weak in the knees. And he smiled to himself, knowing that only he could make her heart pound in the same way.

Eventually Astrid pulled away and looked him in the eyes. She bit her lip, hesitating a little. "If… If the worst should happen… let's just agree to try and carry on like your mother, instead. Deal?"

He cupped a hand to her cheek, admiring those beautiful orbs, and nodded. "Deal."

They closed their eyes and rested their foreheads against each other, standing in each other's arms. It really had felt like forever since they'd been able to talk like this, to share their worries and doubts. But so long as they had each other…

"I think I'm probably the luckiest guy ever," he whispered, kissing her forehead and pulling her into a relaxing hug.

She smiled, resting her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked, glancing down at her.

She looked up at him and smiled. "For everything."


End file.
